aging…

No, I’m not this old yet… but hopefully, if I continue to wake up each day, I’ll be here one of these days – and when I am, I pray that my sense of humor will still be in tact… The following is from an invocation and speech given by Mary Maxwell at a caregivers group in Omaha.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as a new client of Home Instead and friend and former neighbor of Lori and Paul Hogan, I’m so honored to be chosen to deliver the invocation this evening, so let us pray. God our Father, you know all that Home Instead believes in and strives for and we ask your blessing on the Home Instead family; the management, the staff, the caregivers and the clients. We are grateful the way everyone here tonight contributes to the success of Home Instead.  And we ask you to continue to bless them and this food which we are about to receive.  Amen.

Oh, sorry God, as long as I have the microphone… there are a few things I forgot to mention. First of all, just to introduce myself a little, over the years I’ve noticed the two things people want to know the most about you are the two things most people are too polite to ask.  So let’s get that out of the way. I’m 72 years old and I weigh 145 pounds. As you know we seniors are sometimes not very likeable let alone lovable, so Lord could you please continue to make the people at Home Instead patient and aware of why we are the way we are.  And Lord, please remind them that the thing about old age is that you don’t get a chance to practice.  This is the first time I’ve ever been old and it just sort of crept up on me. There were signs. Random hair growth – that’s special. Particularly that first time you go to brush a hair off your lapel and discover it’s attached to your chin. You turn your left turn signal on in the morning and leave it on all day. Non-life threatening skin growths large enough to name after deceased pets and relatives begin to appear.  And neck tissue seems to develop a life of it’s own. Last November I was afraid to leave the house Thanksgiving week. {lots of laughter} Aren’t you quick..? {more laughter} You do strange things as you age like driving up to a curbside mailbox and ordering a cheeseburger and fries. And Lord I know you’re aware that one Sunday at church I put my Dillard’s bill in the collection basket by mistake.  And last Easter after services at St. Cecilia’s Cathedral here in Omaha my husband stopped to talk to a friend and I went on out and got in the car to go home. The gentlemen sitting behind the wheel said “Oh are you going home with me?” and I said “Oh Arch Bishop, I’m so sorry.” I won’t even mention driving into the wrong end of the car wash. People get so excited when you do that. I don’t know why the Lady in the other car was screaming like that. I was just as surprised to see her as she was to see me. I also won’t mention discovering that you’re wearing mismatched earrings and going home to change them and ending up wearing the other mismatched pair. And Lord, you know it’s hard for old people to exercise. I did try to jog once, but it makes the wine just jump right out of your glass. Well Lord you understand seniors and their care and so does Home Instead and I have used before a poem I found in a local Home Retirement Home newsletter that I have always thought volumes about Home Instead.

Blessed In Aging by Esther Mary Walker – Blessed are they who understand my faltering step and shaking hand. Blessed who know my ears today must strain to hear the things they say. Blessed are those who seem to know my eyes are dim and my mind is slow Blessed are those who look away when I spilled tea that weary day. Blessed are they who, with cheery smile, stopped to chat for a little while. Blessed are they who know the way to bring back memories of yesterday. Blessed are those who never say “You’ve told that story twice today.” Blessed are they who make it known that I am loved, respected and not alone. And blessed are they who will ease the days of my journey home, in loving ways.