“Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith "A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!'' Robert Browning “Rabbi Ben Ezra”
These opening lines from Browning’s poem remind us that all of life is important, not just the first part. Someone once told me “I’d rather wear out than rust out.” Life is in the doing. He was so right! We can continue to do something with our lives or we can just set around, rust, and become old in every way. Too often in our society we settle for a very passive lifestyle in front of the television. Health issues come or worsen, the rust out process begins.
As we grow older we can’t do everything we once could. We can however do some things better as a result of experiences along the way. We can help others benefit from the knowledge gained and stored for use another day. In that way our ideas pass on to a new generation. Our opportunity to wear out rather than rust out is enhanced by following a number of rules.
First, growing older doesn’t change the person you are inside. The battles of life have made you smarter and tougher. The old axiom “work smarter, not harder” comes into play here. The energy level may be lower, but the tasks take less time as a result of being able to anticipate problems and having the ability to finish them in a timely manner. Focusing on the task at hand can allow us great results in far less time.
Next, growing older does not keep us from being able to enjoy life and its challenges. In his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” Viktor Frankl wrote of the importance of purpose in life. As we age we need to focus on what we want to accomplish with the balance of our years. This may be work-related, new interests, or just taking time to enjoy the simple things in life. Several years ago my wife, Sharon, and I spent several days searching out and taking pictures of the stone bridges in Cowley County. What a great time we had!
Finally, these “golden years” are best spent and shared with someone or several someones. Sharing our dreams and living them with others leaves a legacy that lasts well into the future. For about ten years Sharon and I had the privilege of sharing trips to various locations with our four youngest grandchildren. Eventually jobs, boyfriends and girlfriends, and other activities ended the “Grandkid trips”, but Sharon and I have continued the adventure of travelling. I would much rather finally “wear out than rust out.”
