Ageing gracefully

Last weekend, i had the graced opportunity to meet two 82 year old gentlemen! One was the lecturer at a course and the other someone who in his seventies used to drive my children to and from school. I was trying to guess the age of the lecturer - and thought he would have been over seventy, but was really surprised to know his age when someone asked him at the end of the course. He spoke with great clarity and is full of 'life', always conscious and grateful to our God of Mystery, who speaks to us and loves us. Indeed we are immersed in the sea of God. Perhaps this is an important formula for staying 'young' - to continue looking ahead with hope, with joy and expectancy of God's surprises.

The other gentleman is someone my children sometimes complained about those years when he drove them around - for example when they were late coming out of school (due to chatting away) and were scolded by him! Several times he got quite impatient with my children and i had to placate him or he would not have continued driving them! When we went to his birthday dinner on Saturday, he recalled those times with my children who have probably forgotten how difficult they were at times.

I do not have my parents or even inlaws to show me this phase of life - they passed on rather early on. So i am always grateful to be in the company of those who in their ageing gracefully, are still full of life, whatever their age. Their focus is less on themselves, aches and pains and so on, than on the outside world. Perhaps the words of the psalmist is apt "When i grow old and gray, do not leave me, O God; give me time to declare your might, your power to all generations to come."