What does 90-year old think about when they wake-up in the morning?
How I wish I could get into the mind of a 90-year old? #ThinkSpeak #BrainHealth #HealthyAgeing
I attended a South African wine tasting with friends last night and one of my friends was telling me how healthy his 92-year old father-in-law is. He remains physically active with a mind that is still very sharp. This got us chatting about what older people think about when they wake-up in the morning. Do they view each new day as a bonus? How often do they think about their mortality? Do they live in the now? Do they still plan for the future? How broad is their horizon? New research in primates suggest that as we get older our social circle shrinks; we interact with others less often and for shorter periods of time. Why?
I attended a South African wine tasting with friends last night and one of my friends was telling me how healthy his 92-year old father-in-law is. He remains physically active with a mind that is still very sharp. This got us chatting about what older people think about when they wake-up in the morning. Do they view each new day as a bonus? How often do they think about their mortality? Do they live in the now? Do they still plan for the future? How broad is their horizon? New research in primates suggest that as we get older our social circle shrinks; we interact with others less often and for shorter periods of time. Why?
My dad passed early from Alzheimer's. My mom made it to 91.
ReplyDeleteRicks mother is 92 and still independent.
He's spoke to her about this stuff. Understand, both his parents left Germany as Hitler came to power and things started getting bad. His dad was part of Kindred Transport and basically escaped Germany to England where he was raised in a boarding house paid for mainly by the Rothchild Family. An amazing facet of this, a video documentary came out about Kindred Transport not long ago. There is video of his dad playing soccer as a boy.
His mom's direct family left on a Norwegian cruise lines ship as stowage. Long story. They made it to NY city. Were enroute to the USA when Germany invaded Norway. The ship was lost on its way back to Norway, all hands lost. Sunk by a german submarine.
What does she think about at 92?
She thinks how much she loves her family. She always extends herself to help.
She is ever so worried about her independence being taken from her. It is a point of contention. Her daughter feels that she should be living with them and limited. Her son (Rick) feels taken her independence from her should never happen unless she feels her limitations are a danger to herself or others. He says should that time happen that is when the discussion should take place. Instead, her daughter and her husband are rather frequently on her about it.
Does death scare her?
ReplyDeleteYes.
Again points of contention. Ricks brother in California is atheist. Ricks sister believes in God yet "Is not jazzed" about it (quote) as she believes prayers she has made went unanswered.
Rick is working towards being messianic. He believes that God is real and believes Yeshua (Jesus) also is quite real. He made no leaps of faith. He learned. He used reverse engineering over a 4 year period of time and found undeniable patterns towards intelligent design. These patterns so very complex that pursuing even a small group of them may well take a lifetime.
Now... Mother having experienced WW II Germany and having many relatives lost has issues in respect to any God that would allow for such atrocity.
On the other side of this Rick has been trying to show her via "modern thought" that all is in fact real. Meanwhile sister thinks such teaching is like manipulation. Brother thinks Rick is delusional in spirituality. YET! Sister sent both her son and daughter through Hebrew school as "tradition" and celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas mainly with gifts and not the reasons of both, God. All very odd.
She is 92 years old, a wonderful women deserving of respect.
Ricks concerns are those of when or if medical interventions occur. His sister was willing to commit her father to a nursing home which is horrible as he would not complete dialysis treatments. Rick tried all things to get him to go. I suggested prayer. He did so with his father. His father never missed a day afterwards. Three times a week Rick drive him to the treatments and he lived for some 3 more years. Qualify of life, pretty good.
His mothers main worries are how her children will cope as a family in respect to her best interests.
She thinks about her mortality frequently and here is the thing Gavin, we all should.
Do we view each day a bonus? Some might say, "Each day is a gift?"
I say no sir. Each day is not a bonus nor a gift. If its a bonus then what provides that bonus? If it is a gift then where does the gift come from?
Everything... Everything has a source and a destination along the framework of time. A rock, your beloved dog... All things around you.
As the framework of time advances all things transform. It may take a million years for the rock to have been weathered and release minerals that may become a source for something else.
Your life has a source and a destination. When we pass our earthly remains change and in the span of time transform.
ReplyDeleteEach day of life we transform. Each moment in each day we transform both in that which is our living entity and that which is our physical makeup.
ALL things transform. Stars, planets, trees, the ant.
Now I put towards you, why would the only thing that does not be that of our living energy, our soul as it is termed.
Put aside the religious mantra for a moment. Many people on earth see this as causal of much bad and seldom look at the much good, morals, love, compassion and much more. Many of these things have diametrical opposites. Do those things result in causal bads? Yep. And the other? Good.
Unremarkably also diametrically opposed. Are they faux? No... They are around us constantly.
What are there sources and destinations?
You treat people. Your knowledge was sourced from many. The destination many right down to perhaps cellular or lower levels.
All things, source / destination.
Again, put aside religious mantra for a moment.
What have you ever known that arises from "random". Interactions have results. They are not random albeit so very complex we cannot at least currently understand them.
Look at what Jesus said as one of the foundational aspects of Gods church. He asked his disciples, "Who do the people say I am" and the responses were Elijah, John The Baptist, a Prophet". He asked Peter "Who do you say I am" and Peter responded, "The son of the living God." Jesus responded, "It is not man but my father in heaven who has revealed this to you. I will build my church upon this rock."
The papacy is based on Peter, the first pope. The Rock. Protestant religions base upon the word. Thus, a rift at a foundational level came forth. Is that what Jesus meant?
No.
What he meant was the "rock" is the revelation. The fact God reveals himself to us. Had the church been built atop THAT then no rift could have ever occurred. It is also why Jesus stated that our relationship is personal but we must engage it.
I do not fear death. I do not fear MS. Each day that presents itself to me is not a bonus, a gift, it is a blessing and a blessing of purpose. Each day I have purpose but I must pursue it. If I do pursue it then that purpose will be placed before me. I may not comprehend it in the grand scheme of all things but this does not make it insignificant.
Look at what you have done. What is the source of your goals to end MS. What is the source of your enormous compassion. What is it that flows to you and from you that has shaped your thought and life energy?
How is it that you love life? How is it that you love a biological daughter? What is the source?
ReplyDeleteScience is the pursuit of truth. Spirituality is the pursuit of truth.
What is the meaning of life? If it is simply to spread without purpose then it is of no value. All around us we see life spread and it is purposed. Bee's birth and give forth aspects of higher life, pollination. No matter what life you find, you will find link to purpose. Same with us.
The fact that we cannot conclusively state, "This is it" does not reduce or diminish that.
Contrary to science which chooses to separate evolution and spirituality both are in fact one. Pursue that which is greater than you and you are closer to that which is greater.
Creationism to much of science is just out of the question. Yet, we create. Our knowledge of biological creation is limited in comparison to what we BELIEVE is our capability to create in forms of engineering. Yet, we surely could biologically create even if said lifeform only lived a nanosecond.
Here's the thing. The thoughts of being created direct us to many a question. Who? How? Why? When? and others. They also lead us when broken down further to more base fundamental questions.
Are we born fearing birth or life? But when life grows short many fear death. Why? Life is just as much an unknown as death. Or is it?
There are two circumstances in life we have no control over. Birth and death. Constants. Both are blessings. If our bodies were to never die than all between birth and death are diminished. Just as the scent of a flower would be diminished if it bloomed forever.
The soul may bloom forever, it is a choice. How it may bloom is based upon how close we truly come towards that spiritual source. The perfect flower and how we utilize that oneness in our daily source / destination activities of purpose.
You are unique. Special. All those around you, unique. Special. All things if we could get down to lowest levels, unique, special. Yet all with a purpose, source, destination.
Those who question and fear mortality have not or may well have thought and considered life at some levels of depth. They however have not connected the pieces or connect them incorrectly.
I often tell people this. Put aside all the pieces. All of them. Put aside all thoughts, dont overthink. Look at the beauty, symmetry and blessing to experience so very much from the stars in the sky to the petal of a flower or if you wish, a single cell. You are connected and part of all of this.
Your soul is as connected to mine as mine to yours and we both are connected to all of this.
You will realize, this is not random. Randomness does not result in structure. Then consider the awe, the beauty, the love and more that an entity has bestowed these blessings and so many more upon you. Your wife is not a bonus, a gift, she is a blessing. She is a blessing showing you that souls can and do connect. Thats sources and destinations cross paths. That you have been given such great blessings from a source to a destination (you) and be grateful which I am sure you are.
You do feel grateful correct?
To whom?
You are grateful for todays meal. To who? The preparer? The farmer? The employer? Are you grateful for the ability to share and enjoy it with family and friends?
Of course.
Do not only be grateful to that which is direct. Be grateful to the one that bestowed oh so many blessings upon you. Our bodies including the brain are biological machines right down to the cells. Our souls however are different.
Revel in amaze at all things complex. But embrace that which is and HAS BEEN fundamental and connect in. Glory be to God creator of the universe and give grace and love to him as he has bestowed upon you the blessings since your birth and that of your death and has asked nothing of you for this except for you to know him and for him to know you.