Old Age

Betty and I went to see Jumanji 2 this past Wednesday. We really enjoyed it and it’s as good as the first. Pure entertainment, but with a good story of friendship and growth.

One of the characters played by Danny Devito said something at the end of the movie that made me think.

He said, “Old age is a gift.”

I’m 74 and I think that qualifies as old age. Is old age a gift?

It depends on your perspective. If I only look at my present circumstances, I’m not sure I would say, “Old age is a gift.”

My left knee, left hip and left elbow all hurt due to arthritis. I don’t have the endurance or balance I used to have. My opthamologist says that my eyesight is beginning to show the slight beginnings of macular degeneration. My muscle strength is much less than it used to be.

So, old age is not a gift if my focus is just on the present.

However, when I look at my life as a whole, then, yes, my old age is a gift.

I have lived a life that has truly been a gift. The ups and downs. The joys and the sadnesses. The healthy years and the years that haven’t been so healthy. My good decisions and my mistakes. All of this and more has made me who I am in my old age.

The two most important things that make my old age a gift are (1) I have been blessed to have Betty as my companion throughout this journey, and (2) I accepted Jesus’ gift to be my Lord and Savior during the second half of my life.

My life has been an adventure and my old age is a gift because of those two gifts – Betty and Jesus.