Q: I believe that I'm a happy individual. I decided to ask several friends if they are as happy as I am. Some of their responses surprised me. My routine is to designate at least one day a week as my "happy day." This habit cheers me up and has served as an important way to help me maintain balance and sanity.

I want to help my friends be happier. Can you share a few tips that other readers have said make their lives better?

A: Yes. Plan a weekly gardening day. Being outdoors and enjoying nature is an excellent distraction and reminds us what's important in life; tending to plants and watching them grow and thrive under our care makes us feel fortunate for our own lives. I treat my plants like my closest friends.

Tell your friends to rethink their purpose in life. We tend to overschedule our days to the point of excluding or caring for others. Plan to do a special favor for a friend every week. This could be taking cookies to their home, offering to pick up their prescriptions or lending them a book you think they'd enjoy.

Sit down for a few minutes and relish all the good things that happened during the week. Be thankful for your experiences and be optimistic about where you're headed next week.

Love, patience, awareness and happiness are small weekly miracles — we have to live in the now!

As Epictetus once said, "Nothing is in reality either pleasant or unpleasant by nature; but all things become so by habit." — Emma, Doug's granddaughter

FAMILY TIES

Q: Recently, I've been having trouble communicating with my family. Two of my children live close enough to visit, but everyone else is farther away. I like sending letters, but I feel like I'm living in the past, and nobody wants to write anymore. How can I keep up with the technology of the younger generation?

A: If you feel like the world's passing you by, you're probably right. Things are constantly changing, and sometimes it feels like we're just treading water. We may want things to stay the same, but life is a constant process of adjustment. If you feel like you just can't keep up, don't worry. It'll take effort, but remind yourself that you want to be closer to the people you love.

The best adjustment I've made was to have my son set up my computer to project onto an TV monitor — the screen is bigger so I can see things clearly. Ask your family and friends for tricks that'll work for you. There are many companies that cater to us and facilitate our adjustment process, such as simpler cell phones and software.

Don't let technology overwhelm you — you can make it work for you. Remember Heraclitus' words: "There is nothing permanent except change." — Doug

Doug Mayberry makes the most of life in a Southern California retirement community. Contact him at [email protected]. Betty is a friend of Doug Mayberry, whom she helps write this column. To find out more about Doug Mayberry and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.