Elderhood – A Season for Growth and Purpose
Often, people fear growing older, assuming that their most effective years may be over. But nothing can be further from the truth. Our senior years offer a unique combination of wisdom and increased freedom to schedule one’s time. There are many ways to embrace this important season of life, whether you are the one stepping into this next adventure or a loved one watching it unfold.
One of the joys of working at Westminster Canterbury Richmond is seeing and experiencing what healthy aging looks like. For many of our residents, the requirement to work full-time in a demanding role is past. Now there is time to grow in ways long denied. In elderhood, one can grow intellectually, spiritually and socially. Many now have time to spend longer precious moments with family, creating memories that will form their legacy. Many grow in their sense of purpose – digging deeper into the one or two causes that have long been of deep concern and finding effective ways to make a real difference. In elderhood there is the opportunity to grow in the ways of love.
The danger for many seniors is feeling they are taking this journey alone and they become isolated and lonely. If you have an elder loved one or neighbor, you can help. Recognize that there is richness in aging and affirm the wisdom and experiences through listening and sharing. Help connect elders in your life to their faith communities, to lifelong learning opportunities and to social opportunities. Talk about their concerns for people or causes and help connect them to purposeful activity. There are resources in every region, certainly in the Greater Richmond area, to assist seniors in many ways. Finding these can be a challenge. We’ve developed a new website to inspire healthy aging and the Partners page will direct you to many helpful resources. www.livelifewellrva.org
Elderhood is a season of life to savor – and like all of life, a gift.