The other day I and Jiji went to Sudhakaran's house. Kochuthomman had come from Mumbai and we went to meet him and have dinner there.
Sudhakaran has taken voluntary retirement. This is the first person in our batch to retire. This is a signal that we are transitioning from middle age to old age. In another five years we will officially become senior citizens.
How will we be as a senior citizen? Will we be broad-minded and inspire the next generation or will be become bitter and morose people who get frustrated by what the later generations do? Will we keep harping about the good old days or keep our enthusiasm and excitement as time goes by? Well we age gracefully or will be be disenchanted and irascible?
It is time to think about how our grandchildren will see us. Will we become a kind and pleasant granddads? Will our grandchildren be proud of their grandpa or learn to just ‘put up’ with his ‘ancient views’? Will we age hating people of other ideologies and religions and finding faults with other people of our generation or realize that each of us is a part, a tukda, a portion, a piece of god and learn to appreciate our differences?
How will we handle the inevitable personal tragedies? As each of our loved ones leave, will we learn to grieve gracefully and be grateful for all the good times that we had shared and let go or will we cling to the past and blame the universe for what happened to us?
This paragraph was difficult for me to write since I know that many of us have already lost our loved ones and some have gone through terrible ordeals in their lives.
What if things happen that we do not like. Will we learn to accept and move on?
What about the regrets, that nagging feeling of ‘If only I had’. Will we learn to accept the past graciously and make peace with ourselves?
What about the anger and hatred we carry against people who have hurt us? Will we learn to accept and move on?
Will we learn to accept each day as if it were a blessing? Will be learn to relax, read the morning paper, make new friends and enjoy ourselves.
We have learned a lot in the last 55 years. There are many advises that we can give to the next generation. Will we follow our own advises.
Will we understand that we are all god’s children and each of us is here for a special and spiritual purpose? Will be learn about our special purpose and conduct ourselves with dignity?
30 years ago, we graduated with dreams in our eyes and with fear and excitement about the future. We wanted to conquer the world and there was nothing that we could not do. We had an idea of how we will conduct ourselves if we become elders. Guess what, we are there now. Are we the 55 year olds that we thought we will become 30 years ago?
Are we pleased with who we are and what we have become
At the end of the day, that is all that matter.
Sudhakaran has taken voluntary retirement. This is the first person in our batch to retire. This is a signal that we are transitioning from middle age to old age. In another five years we will officially become senior citizens.
How will we be as a senior citizen? Will we be broad-minded and inspire the next generation or will be become bitter and morose people who get frustrated by what the later generations do? Will we keep harping about the good old days or keep our enthusiasm and excitement as time goes by? Well we age gracefully or will be be disenchanted and irascible?
It is time to think about how our grandchildren will see us. Will we become a kind and pleasant granddads? Will our grandchildren be proud of their grandpa or learn to just ‘put up’ with his ‘ancient views’? Will we age hating people of other ideologies and religions and finding faults with other people of our generation or realize that each of us is a part, a tukda, a portion, a piece of god and learn to appreciate our differences?
How will we handle the inevitable personal tragedies? As each of our loved ones leave, will we learn to grieve gracefully and be grateful for all the good times that we had shared and let go or will we cling to the past and blame the universe for what happened to us?
This paragraph was difficult for me to write since I know that many of us have already lost our loved ones and some have gone through terrible ordeals in their lives.
What if things happen that we do not like. Will we learn to accept and move on?
What about the regrets, that nagging feeling of ‘If only I had’. Will we learn to accept the past graciously and make peace with ourselves?
What about the anger and hatred we carry against people who have hurt us? Will we learn to accept and move on?
Will we learn to accept each day as if it were a blessing? Will be learn to relax, read the morning paper, make new friends and enjoy ourselves.
We have learned a lot in the last 55 years. There are many advises that we can give to the next generation. Will we follow our own advises.
Will we understand that we are all god’s children and each of us is here for a special and spiritual purpose? Will be learn about our special purpose and conduct ourselves with dignity?
30 years ago, we graduated with dreams in our eyes and with fear and excitement about the future. We wanted to conquer the world and there was nothing that we could not do. We had an idea of how we will conduct ourselves if we become elders. Guess what, we are there now. Are we the 55 year olds that we thought we will become 30 years ago?
Are we pleased with who we are and what we have become
At the end of the day, that is all that matter.
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