Always Valuable!

            My wife and I visited Mother Bennett this past weekend.  At 102, she’s still feisty and quick-witted.  Her granddaughters have a hard time keeping up with her.  The older daughter gets stressed when her grandmother says no to any assistance she offers but accepts it when it’s done, while the younger daughter takes it in stride.  It doesn’t matter to her; Grandma will get over it.

 

            As I watched the interaction between the three women, including my wife, I felt their sincere, unconditional support for each other. I also saw how frail my Godmother was. Once solid and independent up to 101, it seemed just overnight that she became dependent overnight. The scene reminded me of the words to a song about the young becoming old and everything must change. We will all change whether we like it or not.  Growing old lonely doesn’t help.

 

            My godmother mentioned that she is ready for God to take her home.  She has outlived her friends, husband, one of her children, and my dearly departed Godsister, who I considered my biological sister.  Her remaining son is almost 78 years old now.  Her question now is, what can she do for anyone when she can barely care for herself?  Who needs her now?  She looks at her pictures of being young and reminisces about days gone by. I try not to look in mirrors to avoid looking at how old I’m becoming. I’m looking like my father as I get older.  We might try to slow time down, but we can’t stop it. I have learned that we will always be valuable to someone.

 

I fully understand the elderly.  Currently, I’m physically healthy and, at the time, mentally capable, as well as capable of doing things for myself by God’s Grace. There are folks in their 40s who can barely brush their teeth. Yes, I have aches and pains from areas that I didn’t know I had.  Work through them.  Do what you can while you can.