Sanity really doesn't apply to me. I'm the complete opposite as a trucker's wife, mother to three children, with a live-in ailing mother, and five dogs. Stress can make anyone insane! However, I can tell you about two of the sanest people I knew.
They were my great Aunt and Uncle. She lived to be 105 years old and he made it to 100. They married in 1924. I forget the age difference between them. Uncle was an engineer for skyscrapers, primarily in Ohio and she was a nurse. They would tell me great stories about the Great Depression and historical events like alcohol being legalized again. They were a fountain of historical information. I would rely on their stories better than I would any social studies class I ever attended.
Why am I referring to my Aunt and Uncle as the poster of sanity? They weren't stressed out people at all. They always lived by a budget. Their bills were always paid on time. If they couldn't afford it, they didn't buy it! Every penny counted. When the Great Depression arrived and everyone was broke, they raised chickens and they would trade the chickens with their neighbors for other types of food. They did not have children. They took care of their health long before healthy was in style. They did not overindulge with food. They didn't buy any junk foods as they came into the markets over the years. Aunt and Uncle did a few types of community work, but they also believed that some people need to help themselves. They knew when to say "No". They had a "date night" at least once a week. They honored their vows to the letter until the end. They knew bedroom activities were important to a marriage. *wink, wink* (They didn't tell ME this, but I found out through family.) They knew the virtue of patience. They stood by their code of ethics at work. They didn't buy unnecessary things, so their house wasn't cluttered. Therefore, they only had to do maintenance cleaning. They attended church every Sunday morning. They prayed together at mealtime. They did pretty much all the things Oprah covered during the first week of this year of 2009.
Even at their old age, they were still sharp in the mind. My Uncle passed in the late 1980's. My Aunt passed away in 2002. She still made her own breakfast and did her crossword puzzles everyday up until she passed on. Just thinking of their lives, they really didn't have a lot of stress. I believe that their sanity (stress free lives) contributed to their old age.
Just think about the insanity of our lives right now. All the stress ages us greatly and takes a huge toll on our health. If I could follow my Aunt and Uncle's example even in one way - I know I'd be closer to sane than I am now.....