The Corners of My Mind

each time i pick up our local newspaper, one of the things i skim through is the obituary page.  i seldom know those whose deaths are recorded there, but i note the ages of each person when they died.  i am reminded of how near to their ages i am and how grateful i should be to be alive and to be healthy.  i am also reminded that death can come at any moment, regardless of age or seeming health.  each day is a gift that we cannot earn, no matter how well we take care of ourselves.  each of us should be grateful for that gift and vow to make the most of it.

i am close friends with a couple whose lives have been long, happy, and fruitful.  one member of this pair is 88, and the other is 92.  it is fascinating to hear them recount their experiences from their youth to the present.  i am amazed at their youthfulness, despite their advanced ages.  though they are almost twenty years older than i am, they seem as full of life and as healthy as my wife and i.  they take care of a large home with a full, finished basement, as well as a huge yard that fills at least an acre, with many trees, flower beds, and fences to trim around.  their yard is full of plantings that are well-maintained, and their home is always spotless.  part of their good health is the necessity of taking care of their home and yard, which includes frequent trips up and down the stairs from level of their home to the other.

last night, my wife and i watched a movie about a woman who was forced her to give up the home in which she and her husband had raised their two children because she was no longer able to care for it.  her home was filled with happy memories.  everywhere she looked, she was reminded of her husband who had died several years before and of family celebrations that had been high points in her life.  she fought mightily to stay in her home, but a series of events convinced her that she could no longer remain there.  after trying to live with her daughter and her daughter's family, she realized that the best choice for her was to move to a retirement home where she could make new friends and have assistance with the daily necessities of life.  the inspiring point of the movie was seeing her embrace the opportunity to move on to the next stage of her life, as she saw that she could no longer live the life her younger self had loved.

may we each acknowledge that life is a series of changes to which we must adapt.  may we accept the aging of our bodies and work to keep ourselves as healthy as we can.  may we keep our minds active and engaged as we grow older.  may we impart what wisdom we can to those who follow us.  shalom.