Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and as most working parents know, that means school is going to be closed for a bit. The odds are probably pretty high that one’s place of employment will still continue to function up until Thanksgiving Day if it closes down. We are in that predicament a bit where school is closed but we are still working so it led to the question of, “What do we do with the kids?”
Fortunately, we only needed childcare for one day that week and my husband’s grandmother is available. She said all she would be doing that day is food prep and cooking in preparation for Thanksgiving. I mentioned that my eldest has been asking to cook so maybe he can help and learn a few things. How neat would it be to get him some life skills in during the Thanksgiving break!
I am very thankful for her letting my kids hang out with her while the husband and I finish up our work week and it made me think about my own grandmother. We lost her in September at the age of 90 years old. She had been having health issues for a while so her passing was not unexpected. She would repeatedly tell me over these last few years that she was tired of hurting and ready to see Jesus. I did get to talk to her a few hours before she passed and tell her how much we loved her. I was so very thankful that we saw her in June and were able to give her a hug, hold her hand.
She was my last grandparent to pass so it still feels weird to think that I no longer have any living grandparents. I find myself thinking, “Oh, I need to tell grandma about that!” and then realize that I can’t do that anymore. I remember some time ago we were having a conversation on why she was still on this Earth, I told her that even though she was not physically able to do much, she still had value and a purpose. She could still pray for her family, intercede on their behalf; she could still tell stories and share her memories of her own childhood or as an adult. She could still share her love of Jesus with family or her neighbors in the nursing home.
I dont know whether that brought her any comfort or helped her to feel a sense of purpose but I hope it did. Watching my grandmother age and lose her mobility, her independence and ultimately her health reminded me of some trees I see on my drive to and from town. They are along a few different country roads but you notice them because they stand out. They are the dead trees that are still standing with their broken limbs and barren branches. The trees weren’t always that way.
At some point, each tree was a mere seed growing in the soil, sending forth the beginnings of what would be a massive root system that would nourish it for decades, providing it with a stable foundation to help it withstand high winds and damaging weather. It would grow and mature, sending forth its own seeds to begin their own journeys either nearby or carried off by birds to begin anew in a different area. The tree produces oxygen, provide supporting limbs for birds to nest on, shade for heated travelers, camouflaging cover for prey animals. It has a purpose. Many, in fact.
Then, down the road, the tree ceases to produce as many leaves, limbs begin to drop, and disease, rot, and insects begin to contribute to its demise. That tree may stand for years, decay making it a shadow of itself and yet, even at the end of its life cycle, it still has a purpose. It still gives shelter to small creatures and insects. It still provides a perch for a bird and maybe homes for some intrepid woodpeckers or owls.
Even when it falls, succumbing to gravity’s pull and breaking down still further and returning to the soil it grew from, that aged tree so has a purpose. It is providing the nutrients for the next generation of trees, helping those new seeds to grow strong and healthy in their absence.
Sometimes in the right conditions, parts of that tree become stone. It’s also known as petrified wood. Even though it’s like a rock, it still shares stories of what it went through as it grew. It’s almost like a preserved diary just waiting for someone to care enough to read it.
Our elderly are like those trees. They may not be as agile and carefree as they once were. Life may have worn them down or their health declined from disease or just their bodies or minds failing them more often, but they can still have purpose. They can still provide nuggets of wisdom for the next generation, to help them learn from others’ choices – both the good and the bad – if the upcoming generations are willing to listen. There is value in every stage of life; we may just need to remind them of that.
Stay green, my fellow Texans!
Going Green In Texas 