Thoughts of old age

[Edwin]

When we were kids we used to go stay with our bachelor uncle, Dad's oldest brother. Part of the time he had his Dad, my grandfather living with him. My older brother was there a lot as a kid as he helped him put up his hay. When I was a teenager, and my brother was in his early 20s, he told me that when he was staying with our uncle and our grandfather, that my grandfather sicced the dog onto the pigs because he liked to hear them squeel! My brother told me that our grandfather was old and senile and was behaving rather silly. It is really funny because I am probably now at least as old as my grandfather was when he did that, and my older brother is a lot older than grandpa was when he did that, because he didn't even live to be as old as my older brother is now. I wonder what silly things he is now doing, and of course I don't do any silly things!

[Smiley]

No senior moments yet? Actually we don`t seem to be doddering old farts as much as the generations ahead of us.I`m aware that I`m not going to last forever but at 59 I can still outwork some guys half my age. I keep mentally active and that can add years as well. I made a service call today to a restaurant owned by a guy and his wife who both work 60 hour weeks. He will be 82 in a couple weeks and she is 77. Neither of them look or act old. I stop in on an old friend of my dads who still maintains his own house and is a competent driver. He was my fathers combat instructor during WW2. I dont know for sure how old this guy is but I know that he is several years older than my Dad who would be 95 if he were alive still.

I will try to find a link to a humorous song about 'senior moments' If I can find it I will post it here.

[Smiley]

Here it is,Just paste this onto your browser,and turn up your speakers,this guy is good: http://youtu.be/9nndS22Qda0

[Edwin]

I just thought today about the fact that I am one year older than my Dad was when he died. So, I am thankful to still be alive, and also to be healthy. I only have one ongoing problem with possible prostate problems. As long as I can use the urinal successfully I am okay. I don't like to think about another TURP procedure, but the doctor told me last summer I would need another one, and I thought he meant right away. The next time I saw him, he told me that for now they are going to watch and see how I do. Well, I would love to do well the rest of my life, but who knows? I will be very happy as long as it works, and when it doesn't then I will have to have something done about it, even though I hate to think about it, so maybe I won't!

[Edwin]

One thing I noticed in watching that show, "Gray's Anatomy" with our daughter and granddaughter is that they seem to equate old age with poor health and health related problems. Of course that is what everyone thinks about when you get old, you get things wrong with you, or you get sick and you die. Well, some older people are quite healthy. I am trying to take care of myself, exercise, and eat right, and I will live well, and live long, the Lord willing. Carol keeps saying that we all have a time to die, and when it is our time we will die. Of course as we trust in Jesus we are going to live forever!

[red]

Here is a quote that i like.

It is better to add life to your years than to add years to your life.

Make life worth living by serving others and to our God the creator of heaven and earth. (Eccl. 12:1, 13-14)Hmm that way we may live longer. My father said if you take care of old people it will add up years of your life. Will see.

[Edwin]

Those are great verses, Red, from Ecclesiastes, or the Old Testament Preacher, 12:1; "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 13; Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14; For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

Exodus 20:12 "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

Deuteronomy 5:16; "Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

That is the commandment with promise. If we honor our parents, or older people for that matter, God has promised to prolong our lives. That is great, Red, and so lets honor the older people including our parents. They have given their lives to see that our lives are good, and we can help them to see that their lives are good also. Sometimes there is a reversal when the children eventually become the parents. I don't like to think about that, but as long as they are kind and respectful that is fine.

[red]

It is a commandment to honor our parents. And I fear that commandment. Even I don't get along with my Mama well I still love her as mother not maybe as a person. I am obviously a Papa's girl. I used to take care of my grandmother. I was not alone doing that I had a cousin too. We were in college we switched duties to watch over our Lola. Clean her butt, bath and feeding, just like a caregiver does. What I didn't like was when Lola got upset because she wanted to go outside to visit our auntie. She would throw things at me because I won't allow it. I would tell her the door is this way but it was her room's door..then I would tell her ooppss careful there's a creek will go this way...lol...

[Edwin]

That's funny, but at the same time serious, Red. I think the humor you used was great, and that is what we need is to keep it light. We do have personality differences with each other. Some people we get along with very well, and others we have problems with, but you are right to love your mother, even though you don't always get along with her well. We have some of those people around us too, and at times it is a trial, but we must pray, give them over to God, and let God deal with them, and not allow ourselves to try to settle differences. That is a hard lesson for me, and I am still trying to learn that one, but it is important, and I am trying to practice that and trust the Lord to take care of them and me!

[Edwin]

I feel very young yet! I look in the mirror, and I think, "who is that old man, and where did he come from!?" I have heard it said that you are just as young or old as you feel. Most of the time I feel very young, but once in a while I feel very old. I am very healthy, brag, brag! Knock on wood! I think that expression means that if you say you are healthy maybe you are about to have health problems. In other words be careful what you say! My wife, Carol, has held here natural hair color better than just about anyone I know. She is over 70 years old now, and if you look carefully you can see a hint of gray, and that really bothers her, because she doesn't think she should have any gray hair! I have had hair gone gray for years now. I have a full head of hair, but if someone takes a picture of the back of my head, I have a thin spot without very much hair, almost looks bald in a small spot, but I have lots of hair compared to my Dad before he died, and I am now older than he was when he died! I have had my toncils out, 2 hernia surgeries, one prostate TURP procedures, and I had a scare with just one year ago, and had a biopsy that also had the effect of sending me into trauma/shock that lasted about 2 hours. In spite of the things that have been done to my body to keep me going I take no medications, I eat as good as I can with Carol's help. She is very good to prepare healthy foods, and she has to for her diabetes, and I am glad that we eat healthy choice of foods. I walk 6.5 miles every day that I can, except when we are gone, or it is raining cats and dogs, and then the doggies are afraid of the raining cats and dogs! I would like to live forever, and I know I will because I have eternal life, but I know my body will not live for ever here on this earth, because as carefully as I take care of it, it is deteriorating! I have a friend who will always be young! His last name is Young!