Today I had to say goodbye to my friend Jacob. Jacob is a 99 year old gentleman that lives on the bottom floor of my building, the building I will be leaving very soon. I first met this man walking home from class last year. He has walked in front of our building every single day for 3 years now, rain or shine. Did I mention he is 99 years old? As I began to see him almost everyday, a friendship formed and I got to know a little more about this man. One day I brought some cookies down to his apartment, no need to have too many of those lying around my house, that's for sure. He began to tell me about himself and offered to lend me a book he had written, his own memoir.
Now for any of you that know me well, know how much I love elderly people. From the time I was a little girl, my Grandmother would take me on Saturday's to visit my great-aunt and her pals at the nursing home, as well as my Great-Grandmother in the later years. A passion to get to know elderly people started at a very young age. In the 5th grade, I volunteered once a week at that same nursing home by painting nails for the older women, and baking cookies galore. Those are memories that I cherish, for because I became comfortable with the elderly people at a young age, I was led to take the time to stop and talk to Jacob that first day walking home from school.
Jacob is one of the wisest, dearest, soft hearted gentleman I have ever met. In reading through his life story I learned that he spent years living out in the middle of nowhere ministering to the native culture. When he moved on from that, he spent many years teaching English, and I mean many many years....until he was at least 80. It's just incredible to see the life this man lives. He is even still driving! One of his funniest jokes comes from talking about how the DMV renewed his license until 2014....he's 99 years old guys!
Anyway, for the last few weeks I've been thinking about how I needed to go downstairs and say goodbye. Yet I just couldn't bring myself to make the time, and now I know why. It was bittersweet to see him, for I'm not sure if I will ever see this wonderful gentleman again. He's had quite a few falls over the last few months, which means he just might need to move into a rest home sooner than he would like. It just breaks my heart to think about all the people who have had to move into homes like that even though they desire to have their independence. But, his spirits are still so high. He really messed up his shoulder from his last big fall about 8 months ago. Yet he still does his exercises every single day because he thinks that while he is still here, why not take care of the body I do have and live life to the fullest. Now of course he moves slowly, but he's still moving!
As we were sitting and talking about how much longer he will be living in this building because of the amount of falls he had, I asked him how come he has such a positive attitude. These were his words, "I often think of life like a weave. You've got strings going up, and strings going in and out sideways. Without these strings going sideways, the weave would be nothing but a plain old mop. Life is the same way. You have the regularity, comfort, and all things good in the strings that are going up and down. The unfamiliar, challenging, and disheartening are those going in and out of those other strings. Looking at them as an entire weave, you see life in itself. It's about taking the good and walking strongly through the bad."
Wow. Thank you Jacob for the reminder that life has its ups and downs. This man lost his wife over 20 years ago, and yet he has continued to live with hope and pure joy. A while back I asked him if he ever had a longing to go to heaven. And his response was that he looks forward to the day when he does get to go home, yet he enjoys life here on earth. Talk about living in the meantime. He knows that there will come a day when he gets to leave his old body and see his beautiful wife again. Yet he doesn't find the point in moping about how he's got an achy back, or a sore shoulder. He finds joy in TODAY. RIGHT NOW.
I just had to blog about this man because there is such truth in his life. There is such beauty in God's life through Jacob. I look forward to seeing him again in heaven someday, but for now I will be thankful for his letters. It's bittersweet to say goodbye to someone when you know they may not be around for much longer. Yet, at the rate Jacob is going, he could very well outlive me!
Maybe you should stop and say hello to that older woman you see in church every Sunday bringing out the hanky because Jesus touches her heart so deeply. Or stop and talk to the man that sits in the back row every single Sunday. There is a gift that you can receive from them that you can't get from anyone else. There is wisdom that can be shared, experiences that can be learned from, and joy that can be contagious. I thank God for the elderly, for they demonstrate just another part of Jesus that we often overlook. The meek, mild, soft hearted, weathered, and beautiful.
Britt
Now for any of you that know me well, know how much I love elderly people. From the time I was a little girl, my Grandmother would take me on Saturday's to visit my great-aunt and her pals at the nursing home, as well as my Great-Grandmother in the later years. A passion to get to know elderly people started at a very young age. In the 5th grade, I volunteered once a week at that same nursing home by painting nails for the older women, and baking cookies galore. Those are memories that I cherish, for because I became comfortable with the elderly people at a young age, I was led to take the time to stop and talk to Jacob that first day walking home from school.
Jacob is one of the wisest, dearest, soft hearted gentleman I have ever met. In reading through his life story I learned that he spent years living out in the middle of nowhere ministering to the native culture. When he moved on from that, he spent many years teaching English, and I mean many many years....until he was at least 80. It's just incredible to see the life this man lives. He is even still driving! One of his funniest jokes comes from talking about how the DMV renewed his license until 2014....he's 99 years old guys!
Anyway, for the last few weeks I've been thinking about how I needed to go downstairs and say goodbye. Yet I just couldn't bring myself to make the time, and now I know why. It was bittersweet to see him, for I'm not sure if I will ever see this wonderful gentleman again. He's had quite a few falls over the last few months, which means he just might need to move into a rest home sooner than he would like. It just breaks my heart to think about all the people who have had to move into homes like that even though they desire to have their independence. But, his spirits are still so high. He really messed up his shoulder from his last big fall about 8 months ago. Yet he still does his exercises every single day because he thinks that while he is still here, why not take care of the body I do have and live life to the fullest. Now of course he moves slowly, but he's still moving!
As we were sitting and talking about how much longer he will be living in this building because of the amount of falls he had, I asked him how come he has such a positive attitude. These were his words, "I often think of life like a weave. You've got strings going up, and strings going in and out sideways. Without these strings going sideways, the weave would be nothing but a plain old mop. Life is the same way. You have the regularity, comfort, and all things good in the strings that are going up and down. The unfamiliar, challenging, and disheartening are those going in and out of those other strings. Looking at them as an entire weave, you see life in itself. It's about taking the good and walking strongly through the bad."
Wow. Thank you Jacob for the reminder that life has its ups and downs. This man lost his wife over 20 years ago, and yet he has continued to live with hope and pure joy. A while back I asked him if he ever had a longing to go to heaven. And his response was that he looks forward to the day when he does get to go home, yet he enjoys life here on earth. Talk about living in the meantime. He knows that there will come a day when he gets to leave his old body and see his beautiful wife again. Yet he doesn't find the point in moping about how he's got an achy back, or a sore shoulder. He finds joy in TODAY. RIGHT NOW.
I just had to blog about this man because there is such truth in his life. There is such beauty in God's life through Jacob. I look forward to seeing him again in heaven someday, but for now I will be thankful for his letters. It's bittersweet to say goodbye to someone when you know they may not be around for much longer. Yet, at the rate Jacob is going, he could very well outlive me!
Maybe you should stop and say hello to that older woman you see in church every Sunday bringing out the hanky because Jesus touches her heart so deeply. Or stop and talk to the man that sits in the back row every single Sunday. There is a gift that you can receive from them that you can't get from anyone else. There is wisdom that can be shared, experiences that can be learned from, and joy that can be contagious. I thank God for the elderly, for they demonstrate just another part of Jesus that we often overlook. The meek, mild, soft hearted, weathered, and beautiful.
Britt
3 comments:
Britt,
This blog is fabulous.... it touches my heart because I too LOVE the older generation and as a child, my after school play was to go visit the rest home and love on all my 'grandma's and grandpa's I adopted...
Your writing is real, its inspired and it's gifted, just like you~!~!
and you have blessed my heart <3
Love ya,
Becki
Loved this post. I love talking to older an wiser people. There is so much richness when spending time with them.
Loved this post. I love spending time with older people. There is so much wisdom and richness.
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