Idea of Aging
by Kathryn Urick
Published
Kathryn’s Korner - The Daily Tribune
Do you believe that we are living in a culture that idolizes youth and dreads age? Many people do, according to some of the more interesting columnists. And I don’t think the majority of people believe that Aging is a Quality of Mind.
“They don’t think that they have left their dreams behind, that they no longer look ahead; that their ambitions all are dead, which somehow says that “they are old.” Don’t they realize that if they live life with a zest and that if they try to do their best; If Love They Hold – that then no matter how the years roll by, no matter how the birthdays fly, they are not old?
And when I ran onto the following poem, My Children Are Coming Today, it seemed to fit in with this idea of aging. Two lines struck a responsive chord – told me to share. See if you can pick out those two lines for yourself:
My children are coming today.
They mean well, but they worry. They think I should have a railing in the hall, a telephone in the kitchen, someone to come in when I take a bath.
They don’t really like my living alone.
Help me to be grateful for their
concern.
And help them to understand that
I have to do what I can as long as I can
They’re right when they say
there are risks.
I might fall
I might leave the stove on.
But there’s no challenge, no possibility of triumph, no real aliveness without risk.
When they were young and climbed
trees and rode bicycles and went away to camp, I was terrified, but I let them
go.
Because to hold them would have
hurt them. Now our roles are
reversed. Help them to see. Keep me from
being grim or stubborn about it.
But don’t let me let them
smother me.”
“So with age is wisdom and with length of days, understanding.” Job XII 12
(Poem from Green Winter – Celebration of Old Age by Elise Maclay. Aging, A quality of Mind – author unknown.)