“What Terminal Illness and Aging Have In Common”

Oh to be young, full of energy desires wishes dreams and the impatience of wanting to be older.  It isn’t until we start growing older that we realize all the wishes dreams and desires have now started to vanish and depression sets in.  We find that our current wishing becomes very similar to feelings one must have when they have been diagnosed with a Terminal Illness and a time limit has been given on life.

Understanding what one goes through, takes being able to phantom the reality of “life as you once knew it” is soon going to end.  The young dream about careers, while the elderly dream about not having one any longer, the young dream about a new home, looking forward to finding a mate, having children, buying a new vehicle, traveling to exotic places, making more money, promotions, shopping sprees, parties, and watching their children grow up just to name a few, while the elderly like persons who are terminal, have nothing to look forward too any more.  Only to wish and pray they live to see another day, another birthday, another Christmas, a graduation, a Wedding, another birth, or how about looking forward to another trip to the Doctor, to the Grocery Store, to see their family once more before they unable to or praying for just one more day to be with their spouse, their home, their animals, to see the sun rise and set, things that use to be taken for granted, are now the only things they have to look forward too.

So many things we have in common, it is almost scary.  I am writing about this today because I live and breath it everyday.  I woke up one morning not so very long ago and realized my husband and I don’t have anything to look forward too in our future.  Not like when we were young.  Sure we always look forward to going places, seeing family and friends, still working full time, however, our mind set has changed because every day we are reminded of how old we are, and getting so it becomes depressing to think, about not having the desires of buying a new home, buying a new car, building a life of growth and new challenges.  It now becomes a desperation of wanting to continue to be together and to live another day.  Afraid of not being able to see your kids and grandkids, doing things you use to enjoy, even simple things like home improvements, yard work, house work or running a business.  It all becomes major concerns and fears start to set in.

Your health begins to decline and energy levels start to dissipate.  You see your spouse going through the same, maybe worse and you realize, you or they can be gone in a flash.  You watch the news only to see stories on all the celebrities you once loved and enjoyed listening too or watching are dying, and realization again sets in, as we get older so are they.  The toughest realization is losing friends and relatives who along with you are aging and losing their presence on earth.

I write this only because those who are still young, or are very healthy and not battling a life threatening illness, need to be a little more patient, and little more understanding when it comes to their relationships with elders, or ones fighting everyday to live.

Youngsters always think trivial matters are so overwhelming when in reality, they need to just be thankful for what they do have, that they have a lot to look forward too, and remember “life is a gift” not to be taken for granted, or wasted.  And when someone older tells you, you will survive this trivial thing, and it will be okay, trust them, because they have been there, lived it, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.

And next time someone who loves you and is in their senior years, shows they want to spend more time with you or hear from you more, don’t deny them, indulge them while you can.  They already know what is ahead, you may not.