Life

In the course of my everyday life, especially in the process of the job that I carry out three days a week, I have the joy to meet and to converse with many people who most would call elderly but who I prefer to call the elders of our community. And during the course of whatever form our relationship takes I get to hear much of their life story and as a result, I am more often than not totally amazed and inspired by the richness of the lives they have lived. Many have come to accept how their lives have changed and where they find themselves now, but some are really struggling to accept the changes that have often been forced upon them as a part of the ageing process. They want life to be as it was but deep down there is a sadness in the knowing that it will never be the same again, and so perhaps they are closed down to the fact that there could still be a most wonderful life to be lived until their last breath. Continue reading “Acceptance and Appreciation of the Richness of Life”

I had a big wake-up call recently as to the fact that there is always a possibility that I might not “be here tomorrow”—in simple terms—I may have left this life, not just because I am an ageing woman but through an accident or sudden health event. This wake up call came about when a beautiful local woman, whom I knew but hadn’t seen for a few years, died in a car accident very close to where I live.

That night as I sat there thinking about her and the wonderful legacy she left behind in the community, I asked myself a question, “If that had been me, what sort of a mess would I have left behind for my family to clean up?”, in other words; was my will up to date, did my family know what bank accounts I have, what outstanding bills, who to call, what to do with my ‘stuff’, and even, what will they think of the state of my drawers, cupboards etc! The list was very long. I soon realised, that even though a couple of years ago I had taken steps to get my affairs in order, they sure weren’t as orderly and up to date as they could be.

Continue reading “Planning Today – for not being here Tomorrow.”