A couple years ago I ordered a devotional calendar that was meant for people who are slogging through the aging process. I thought I would use some of its messages to lift the spirits of elders I worked with. Each calendar page included a thought for the day and a Scripture.
I anticipated reading words of wisdom each morning. What I found, though, were frequent reminders of what old age feels like:
January 10: “Knees buckle and it’s hard to get out of bed.”
January 13: “At your age, you feel vulnerable to life’s storms.”
January 14: “Your joints ache, and you have no energy.”
Another day states, “You feel your independence slipping away,” and there were many similar messages.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t need to be reminded that my body isn’t the same as it was 30 years ago. I’m aware, I’m aware.
What I want to think about instead, especially on the days I feel those aches and pains, is how grateful I am that I’m NOT the same person I was 30 years ago. I prefer to remind myself how much I’ve learned over the years and how much wiser I am.
I want to relish the fact that I don’t have to work 40 hours a week or strive to get ahead in my career. I want to focus on how gratifying it is to have young people ask my advice. I want to be thankful for good healthcare that allows me to physically be the best I can be. And I want to appreciate that as I have aged I’ve learned to care less about what people think of me and more about what God thinks of me.
I’m sure the producers of the devotional calendar had the best of intentions. The messages may hit home for some folks. They may even inspire some to improve their lives.
The readings didn’t work for me because I choose to focus on the uplifting and positive aspects of the aging journey. And there are many! We may have aches and pains, but there are more things to be grateful for than to complain about as we grow older.
Proverbs 20:29 says “The beauty of the aged is their gray hair.” Well, I’m gray-headed underneath this brown dye, but older adults are beautiful in other ways besides their hair.
God made us in His image, He loves us, and that makes us beautiful in every stage of life. In 2024 let’s remember all we have to be thankful for.
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Diana Walters has enjoyed a long career working with senior adults as social worker, activity director, and volunteer coordinator. She recently retired (at age 76) from paid employment and is now able to devote more time to her writing and her husband (in that order?) She has written devotionals for The Quiet Hour and Upper Room and been published in six Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but she is excited to be writing for and about her fellow Baby Boomers. She can be reached at dianalwalters@comcast.net