Thoughts on ageing...

"We should so provide for old age that it may have no urgent wants of this world to absorb it from meditation on the next." ~Pearl S. Buck 

This Saturday is my birthday. Yesterday, I had lunch with one of the girl people and talked about life and parents. Today, I had a meeting with persons who are somewhat older than my parents and who raised various points about the ageing population in Trinidad and Tobago (though that wasn't the reason for that meeting at all). 

It's just stuff that makes me think. 

I'm going to be 29 this Saturday. I'm thinking about where I'm going and where I've been and the different stages in one's life. 

I've mentioned in passing that I live with my parents - it's kinda the norm here. I have cousins older than I am that live with their parents. It's, I think, partly due to tradition and partly to cost of living. In my case, there's the fact that I can't afford any place by myself... hmm perhaps I can... maybe? I'm not 100% sure... The other factor: whilst I know that I'd like my own place, I also know that I'd worry about the parents (especially the mother) being on their own - just this morning my mom was speaking about the possible need for a companion if ever any of us (the brother and I) aren't at home. What will parents do if I'm not here? Who will take care of them? Who can I trust to take care of/just generally be around them? Oy.

Points that came up in my meeting today were that Trinidad and Tobago's population is ageing - persons don't know what's being done about that and there's apparently a lot of old people's homes (I'm not sure what the correct terminology is for this) springing up that do not conform to any kind of regulations (regulations? there are regulations?). I must do research. There's a Division of Ageing in Trinidad and Tobago. I'm somewhat grumpy because I can't find the National Policy for Ageing anywhere online. I'd like to know what's being put in place for our ageing population. I'd like to know how the workforce would be affected. I'd like to know that something is actually being done. 

I think I need to do more research into this. Ageing is something that we're all facing. 

What do you think?

peace,

Ren


Edited to add:

On growing older...

"How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?" ~Satchel Paige 

Last Monday I called my cousin to wish her a happy belated birthday... It was both really bad and really good timing on my part. She'd just found out that her uncle had passed away that morning and needed someone to talk too. I know the uncle though he's not my uncle (my cousin is the child of my dad's sister - the uncle was the brother of her father)... I've met him on numerous occasions for birthdays and weddings and funerals. She said to me that as it was her first uncle to pass away it really brought home the fact that her parents were getting older and that at any time it may be their time. Any time might be your time or my time... death is not something one can easily predict. A lot of people thought that my mom would have passed away many years ago due to cancer but she hasn't (thankfully). Both of my parents are still going strong (-ish). I am blessed.

What I've noticed though is that as the years pass they tend to weigh heavier on a person. I see it in my parents - the way they can't move with as much vigour as they once did, the way their bodies have changed. I see it in their friends - I'm not sure how it has come to be but my mom's friends are also my friends and as such I'm privy to all the conversations about body aches, mysterious illnesses and 'remember when we could...?'.. I see it in myself - my body is different, my thoughts are different. Perhaps I should have said that the years weigh differently on a person? There are things that you can't do as easily... there are things you could think or dream more easily. 

It is an acceptance of oneself I guess?

Today I attended a one-year memorial service for a dear friend of ours... It is at events such as this that you meet with persons you may not have seen for some time. It is sometimes a shock and sometimes a pleasure to see how much people have changed since the last time you've seen them. Ageing is inevitable.. a part of life just as death is. Ageing is not just physical but mental, emotional and spiritual as well. 

I look forward to seeing how my years will progress. 

peace,

Ren