Growing old gracefully!

The news about the retirement homes in the west or the retirement apartments as they call it, have caught the attention of people these days.  What’s special about these “old age homes”.  These are known to be well-equipped nursing homes where people come to pass their old age.  In most of these western countries the life expectancy is very high and many live up to even 100 years.  

And so, once they have retired from their jobs, children all settled (if at all they have children) they come to these centers where they are well taken care of, of course paying very dearly, meeting all their NEEDS.  (Yes, needs in all senses).  There is still more!  In the rooms, besides their beds they are provided with three drawers; the first one with some sleeping pills, the second one with some pain-killers, and the third one is a special one. What’s in it? Oh yes, If one does not want to wake up the following morning he can serve himself with the pills in the third drawer. They are pills that helps one to take off his life without the help of anyone.  In short, they are just suicide pills; Nothing official about it!

Yesterday I was in my parish and I happened to meet two old ladies. As both of them looked alike I wanted to strike a conversation with them.  They were twins. They are in their ripe old age of 86 completed a few months ago.  Both of them had come for the evening mass and during the mass there was a special ceremony of blessing for the members of the volunteer group.  As the names were being called out I saw these two old grannies lining up to receive the medal of our the Our Blessed Mother from the parish priest.  In amazement I asked my neighbor what it all meant and she told me that these two sisters had volunteered themselves to serve the needy ones of the parish and they had been doing it for the past 15 years. 

I couldn’t contain my emotions.  This was a perfect example of growing old gracefully.  There is no better way to pass one’s old age if not through a way of service and love as had shown these two sisters so beautifully well.  It is not just about ending one’s life with a suicide pill but it is all about beginning to live, living fully, putting oneself totally at the service of others.