Finishing Well

Dr. Andrew Weil is a quality of life advocate who wrote recently that life extension efforts that results in extended morbidity is not life extension.  I just buried an aunt who lived 16 years in a nursing home.  Extended life with morbidity.  Weil says the goal of man should be to live well as long as possible and then die shortly after no longer living well.  Slay dragons in the morning and die that afternoon.  I'm up with that. 

 

I spent some time in nursing homes the last year.  A family friend of ours just passed away in the nursing home.  I visited her.  She was alert, alive and full of spunk.  But, incapacitated otherwise.  Tough way to go.  On the other hand my family has the unfortunate late life curse of mental drift.  Late 80's and things drift away.  So, even if alive, alert isn't there.  Sometimes not at all.

 

These things haunt me.  I want to finish well.  With all the talk about life expectancy (the average does go up) we haven't done much about actual length of life.  We are able to keep a few alive for a decade or more past prime.  But in Jesus time Anna was 84 when He was born.  84 was not an exceptional age then.  Old but not exceptional.  We are about at the same length now.

 

Despite all our medical advances that moves up life expectancy, our life expectancy in length is to about 85-95 perhaps a few more.  Average life expectancy is something else.  My concern is not length of years, it's life in the years.

 

In our church we just had a woman die who was a quadriplegic. Bonnie.  She had everything NOT going for her.  But she died full of years.  She worked hard to develop and maintain a quality of life.  Her friend Dianne paid a price and reaped a reward to see her active and involved.  Bless them both.  Bonnie was an inspiration.

 

I get to the keyboard about 7AM.  I work the phones all day.  About 3-4PM I try to do whatever errands or deliveries I have.  Then I come home, change clothes and work in the Nursery till dark.  Mostly about 8PM.  I try to get a little nap in.  I ache.  But I'm happy.  I like to work.  I see so many men my age half infirmed.  I feel I didn't work hard I would lose whatever vigor I have.  Use it or lose it.

 

I used to have great pride at my physical stamina.  I unloaded several large bags of potting soil last night.  I struggled to lift them.  They were unwieldy and over 80 pounds each.  I know 5 years ago I would have thrown them over my shoulder and walked them back.  On the other hand I can still carry six 3 gallon pots at once.  Lots of young men can't do that.  So, I still got it, kinda.

 

Age is a robber.  I keep hoping 80 is the new 65.  That a man or woman in good health should be able to work till 80.  If that's the case is 65 the new 50?   I wish.  So do you.

 

So, I'll go thru my routine.  I'll be out leading a prayer meeting tonight till late.  Up tomorrow.  Men's meeting.  Work hard the rest of the day.  Much to do. 

 

And in the mean time I write on this Blog and make a living.

 

Don't feel sorry for me, don't tell me to slow down, I love it.  I love the pain.  I love the tired.  I love the fact that I sleep well.  It's a choice driven partly by fear of morbidity.

 

I just fear it will all end too soon.  I just hope to finish well.  I have much to do.

 

Our High School Class Poem (or Motto) quoted Frost when he said, "I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep".

 

Still do.