Each stage of our lives is marked by different evolutionary aspects, such as the innocence of children, the spontaneity of youth and adult maturity, however, when life brings us closer to old age, sometimes we find no aspects that help us to value, accept and appreciate this last stage of life.
Old age is marked by a physical and mental deterioration that we sometimes do not accept, generating conflicts and difficulties to adapt to new vital circumstances, but we must still try to take advantage of each of our steps that appear over the years, not to mention the latter.
We all want to get to old age and we all challenge that we’ve arrived?
? Quevedo-
As we have said, each evolutionary step has its own characteristics, which we generally accept without much emotional conflict, at least nothing more than necessary to grow, and it is important to reflect on the fact that reaching every stage of life assumes that we have necessarily lived the previous one.
That is why we must learn to value that we never cease to be children, young people or adults, but that every step and their learning will accompany us throughout our existence, being a background for the path we have to go.
“Man’s maturity is to have regained the serenity with which he played as a child. “
? Frederich Nietzsche-
One might imagine that one specializes in a qualified trade and therefore goes through different types of training and experience, as well as the practical performance of the trade, specific to the level being acquired.
This is also the case, as we move step by step, throughout our lives, specializing more and more, gaining more wisdom and thus changing our tasks and developing age-based activities.
Can we say that the more experience there is, the lighter, quieter, restless the work becomes?Thus giving way to those who begin their training in life, and who are engaged in the hardest and most difficult jobs necessary to learn and obtain a specialization. diploma, as his elders have already obtained.
“Getting old is like climbing a big mountain; on the way up, the forces diminish, but the gaze is freer, the view wider and more serene?
? Ingmar Bergman?
Undoubtedly, having a birthday adds experiences and learnings to life, leading us to have a wisdom that belongs only to the elders of our society, and this wisdom is, in turn, a treasure for the little ones, those who are beginning to live life without experiences and who need support and guidance.
Therefore, having a birthday, at any time, has always been and will continue to be an educational experience and support for the little ones in our environment.
Biologically, we started to age from the age of 22. Our cells will not continue to grow and grow, but they deteriorate, which we will notice over the years, because it is a slow evolution, and it depends a lot on treatment. and the attention we provide.
This means that we spend more than half of our lives aging, which comes down to maturing, learning from previous stages and with goals that have been overcome or failed. If we accept this, we will discover that our biology prepares us every step of the way for what we need. And without a doubt, activity since childhood is not necessary in adulthood, and the ability to work is not necessary in old age.
Do older trees give the sweetest fruit?
? German proverb?
You could say that having a birthday allows us to live life differently, every year is a process of maturation, more assimilated learning, different projections of the future and new goals, and that is certainly what we have to accept.
Perhaps it was easy to accept that as adults we would not maintain a child’s innocence, play and lack of responsibility, and we must also accept that, in old age, it is no longer necessary to work as before, to maintain the same thing. continue at the same pace as before.
As we have said, wisdom is the fundamental aspect of old age, and when the body demands rest, rest and care, it is more appropriate to give everything. And if our mind is not as awake or active, it means that we cannot expect the same from ourselves that we had anticipated in the previous steps.
Accepting the passage of years means continuing to exercise our physical and mental activity, to the extent of our possibilities, without major challenges, except that of keeping us in greater well-being and with the best possible health, taking advantage of every present moment. .
Accepting the passage of years means giving space to future generations, letting others take care of us or protect us, as we did a while ago, accepting the limitations of a wise body and mind, which by nature want to convey and express their knowledge, so that others can use it.
Accepting the passage of the elderly’s years means thanking them for their wisdom, listening to them, caring for and respecting them, learning from their experience and with it being able to live happier and better every day.
Image credits: Kim Dong-Hoon, Raquel Daaz Reguera and Heather Barron