A Daily Survival Kit

There's another little book club here in Moultrie. Meetings are held at 10 a.m. the first Monday of each month so that the members won't have to travel at night. You see, they're all "women of a certain age," as author Joan Medlicott says. Her "mature woman's genre" has hit a lovely chord with many women of a certain age.
I met with the book club the other day and enjoyed their discussions about the books they were reading. All six ladies were reading different books, which made listening to them enjoyable. They also helped add to my list of books I want to read. And I was able to encourage them to visit the library and select books from our large selection. Some were even happy to find that the library has a large-print collection, which will make reading much easier for some of them.
Toward the end of the meeting, one little lady said she had a surprise for everyone. She handed out a paper showing pictures of a toothpick, rubber band, Band-Aid, candy kiss, etc. Then she handed out a cute little Christmas bag filled with all the items we were to place on that paper. Next she handed out a paper titled "Daily Survival Kit" and here's what it said.
*Toothpick...to remind you to pick the good qualities in everyone, including yourself.
*Rubber Band...to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want, but it can be worked out.
*Band-Aid...to remind you to heal hurt feelings, either your own or someone else's.
*Eraser...(it was a big Pink Pearl eraser) to remind you everyone makes mistakes. That's okay; we learn by our errors.
*Candy Kiss...to remind you everyone needs a hug or a compliment every day.
*Mint (this one was a peppermint candy)...to remind you that you are worth a mint to your family and me.
*Bubble Gum...to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything.
*Pencil...to remind you to list your blessings every day.
*Tea Bag...to remind you to take time to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings.
At the end of the page, the little lady wished us love, gratitude, friends to cherish, caring, sharing, laughter, music, and warm feelings in our hearts.
Well, I'll tell you, I'd never been to a book club meeting like that one. I could see how the women all got along with each other. They respected what each one read and treated their time together not only as a way learn something new, but learn more about each other. They were not only readers, but a support group for each other. And they were all ages and all colors and all shapes and sizes. They were all "women of a certain age" with the youngest about 65 and the oldest 92.
Oh, I forgot to tell you their name. It was taken from the title of a book found in the library. They're called "The Happy Bookers." Way to go, girls!