MY FATHER complained he wasn't feeling too well. Days ago, he let himself be dragged by my two other brothers to a bowling match. Of course I didn't care to join; I was sleepy, having just left the hospital after a 24-hour shift. My brothers thought I just didn't want to end up the lowest pointer. They were all insistent that I join. My father even volunteered to be on the same team with me. Tatay's first shot was a strike. When we got home, he complained of back pains.
"Your Tatay is getting old," confessed my mother. "I shouldn't overwork him."
"Yes, Nay. You make all sorts of demands," we said.
My mother smiled.
The fact is that my parents now carry their senior citizen card, a badge of distinction for them, an excuse to buy that extra dessert or watch that new movie. They're getting older by the day.
How do I encourage them, as well as the rest of the old people I work with?
R. Paul Stevens writes:
Aging people experience progressive losses: parents, friends, colleagues, career, driver’s license, and perfect health. Then life-threatening health challenges are encountered, usually heart disease or cancer. And finally, there is the certainty of death.It's summarized in three points:
In these realities, though, there are implicit spiritual incentives to grow. Here are three ways to encourage and exhort the aging.
Experience intensificationRead the rest of the article here.
Embrace simplification
Cultivate (practical) heavenly-mindedness