FRIDAY / SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 6/7 - FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

 FRIDAY/SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 6 AND 7 - OLD AGE

My friend “Simply Marvelous” (Maxie) wrote:  (When I described my friend in the nursing home that I visit)

“Nice. It kinda makes me a little afraid to realize that, at some point, my health might deteriorate to the point where I need assistance. “

*****

I wrote back:

Yes, that is scary. You (and I) have been so active. In this nursing home (with 85% women), these ladies had vibrant and meaningful lives - family, friends, careers, jobs,

We are born, and we will die. How will death come? (Wow, that sounds a bit morbid). Die of old age and something - heart failure, cancer - and dementia.  

As Christians, we must believe in something better - a heaven, utopia, paradise. Do we have to work to “earn” this? Just believe? Meditate? Read scripture? Pray? Bring food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, visit the sick and those in prison?  

An old hymn says, “Till my trophies at last I lay down.” I feel the author might have had other ideas for “trophies,” but all my accomplishments are gone, gone into a box placed in a hole in the ground (or our flesh changed to ashes in cremation).  

It is not a balance sheet where my good deeds outweigh my evil deeds. (At times when I get tired, I don’t think I have enough good deeds to outweigh just my evil thoughts for the last hour.)  

Grow old - being in a nursing home - and die.

I try to brighten the days of these seniors - I blow up balloons. I sometimes let them fly around the room - they enjoy that!! - or tie them off, and they play “soccer” at their dinner tables. I played checkers and did crafts with Trudy until she could no longer do things. (She’d move the red checkers - and then the black checkers - but whatever she did, she WON!!!). I play music on my phone at the dinner table. Sometimes, it is Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Perry Como - music from her era. Sometimes it is things I like.  

After dinner, they return to their caves (oops - “rooms”). I wonder about their dreams when they sleep. Do they remember their children? Are they climbing trees or in canoes?  

In my dreams, I’m almost always on campus with students since I was a professor for 38 years. My nightmares are when I somehow forgot to teach one of my classes the whole semester. Then, two weeks before finals, somebody reminds me that I must prepare something - and give the students grades. When I’ve been away all summer, my office moved, and I’m wandering around the campus looking for my office!!

Solomon wrote (Ecclesiastes 1): “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

I try to avoid that thinking. Wonder if Trudy dreams of this.

By the way, Trudy doesn’t speak. eemingly, she had a minor stroke that affected her speech. hen I first met her, she did speak a little (maybe to a direct question), but not so anymore. know she hears me, so I say, “I love you,” “You are so talented,” and “You are beautiful.”  

Yes, dear friend, “It kinda makes me a little afraid to realize that at some point my health might deteriorate to the point where I need assistance.”

Love you!!!

Fight the good fight!!  Keep the faith!!

*****

It seems as if I have no choice. Follow

God, follow the LOVE WINS philosophy, love everybody - or go into depression believing in nothing and expecting nothing but death in a body that will rot in a grave. This is a planet; this universe didn’t just “happen” - a designer, a divine being, created it.  Its designer (I’ll call them “God”) is so far beyond me I can’t even fathom His/Her

So, yes, 

LOVE MUST WIN

LOVE WILL TRANSFORM US

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE!!!

Karen Anne White, September 6, 2024