Old Age Demands Simplicity of Lifestyle

At senior years, the secret is moderation.

One needs to eat a balance diet of healthy food, has enough rest as well as exercise and takes regularly the prescribed medicine.

For food, the balanced diet and the eating of healthy food is emphasized. Taking in more than enough of rice or any starchy food will lead to much sugar which can be the cause of diabetes. Once diabetes gets its foothold, there is so much care to arrest it and its compilation. The doctors warn us to be careful and to always watch our sugar level.

Much oil is also disastrous especially relative to cholesterol and the rising of blood pressure. I think we know what happens if our blood pressure is high. It may lead to partial disability or even death. Protein in excess can damage the kidney which could eventually lead to dialysis, not exactly a painless way to live for some years.

God made it this way that we need few healthy food which are not so expensive. With a small pension to live with, we appreciate smaller budget for food compared to the time we were younger.

Every day, the following should be observed: to eat 3 meals a day, to have a regular exercise, to rest frequently and have peace of mind. Others may eat between meals as needed.

The Wisdom of Senior Years
Some people joke that there are some people who do not learn enough. They simple repeat what they have learned once and repeat this year in and year out.

This is a cruel joke because God gave us the intelligence to be used in learning from moment to moment. If this is so, the senior citizens are full of wisdom. In fact, they can predict things to happen based on their experience and logical thinking. This wisdom in many instances, when shared, accepted and appreciated is very helpful. However, in some instances, when the senior citizens forget that the younger generation also have their own time to learn in their own way, this could cause conflict. The senior citizens can be impatient with the younger ones as the younger one could be irritated by the senior and worse may even lose respect and love for them.

Adults like parents, relatives and teachers could narrow down this gap of understanding between the two generations. Bringing this to the awareness of both generations could be helpful in the joy of relationship.

Reversing the Cycle of Life
When a family is founded, the couple love each other so much serving each other and this service of love is transferred to the children.

This service which the parents and other adults give vary from one family to another. Some are so protective to the extent of being over-protective. This could lead to over-dependence and parasitism of children. Others may be lax. Hopefully, many are just doing it right.

This start of the family cycle is so natural that the loving service maybe taken for granted. This usually lasts until adulthood when these children become parents and they start their own cycle.

And now comes the time in the family when the loving parents become aged and rather than service, they need to be served. When in church, I see several children and grandchildren attending to their old folks, how my heart gladdens. On the other hand, we also see some old folks left to foreign themselves. One possible cause of indifference maybe the lack of awareness of the reversed role.

Listening to the old folks and respecting or doing their requests could make their lives more comfortable. (Ma. Iris Melliza)