Gray Matters
It’s only been two weeks. Life is good but life has changed. It was time for her to move into assisted living. At first she viewed it as the end of the road, the last stop before death. Ah…but that was just emotions, she was smarter than that!
Helen is a woman of imagination; a poet and a songwriter. It didn’t take her long to realize that this was simply a change like all the other changes of her 80 plus years. Soon she realized that this one, like the others before it, just required a little adjustment.
Instead of looking around and lamenting a lack of space, she understands it as a corporate executive does…
simple downsizing. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she entertains visitors much like a queen entertains
dignitaries. It was our good fortune to be granted entry into the royal court of this lovely woman and to be
warmed by both her smile and her stories.
Deep within the hearts of many of the people who have lived a good many years, lies a fear that their best days
are behind them or that they are of little value now. This is a lie! It is a deception set in motion by the evil
one….just the opposite is true!
The gray haired ones are our living history! In a time when the latest technology is the rage, we sometimes forget these, our greatest national resource! They are valuable not only because of the tough times they lived through but for the stories they were told by the people who went before them.
When you and I pause, unplug our headsets and spend just a little listening to the matriarchs and patriarchs of our cultures, we learn about the past, connect the generations in the present and lay love and values as the foundation for the future.
But don’t take my word for it…call your grandparents…talk to your mother and father….and don’t wait. It only takes a minute…pick up your cell phone and call. If you don’t know what to say, don’t worry. Just ask a question, be quiet and listen.
Addendum……
This is a poem Helen wrote about two weeks after……she entitled it “My Big Move”
I sure didn’t want to make the move
Away from friends that really care,
So I moved with worry, but guess what!
Jesus was waiting for me there.
I am sailing on the uncharted waters!
And the future cannot be seen
But I’ll sail forth with confidence,
For on my Jesus I will lean.
You can always count on Jesus
He will never let you down
He is our good friend and Savior
The very best that could be found.
So I’m living here with Jesus,
Telling me what I ought to do.
When my ship is finally anchored,
I’ll find Jesus waiting for me too.
Thanks for this reminder…my mom is slowing down so it is easy to forget all she can do and give. She has many memories, many stories and has enjoyed many adventures. I do believe that she is worth listening to…thanks for making me stop and think about that…love you! Joanna