On Being Careful, But Not Too Careful

In my early seventies, I learned that being careful is a good thing. Rather than bounding down the stairs, I hold onto the railing as I descend. As an antidote to the dizziness that comes from getting up too quickly, I take a few moments to sit on the side of my bed before going downstairs. I take small steps when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, which is  good idea since our bedroom floor has a slight tilt and I have to pass by my wife’s side of the bed to get there. Additionally, I tend not to eat anything two hours before going to bed, and I look more carefully when I back out of a parking spot or turn left onto a busy intersection. All these are wise activities given the inevitable changes that come with aging.

I believe a good life involves heeding the advice, “take care.” But there is also wisdom in not being too careful. You need to adapt to certain aspects of aging, but also be adventurous and find new areas that challenge you with greater physical or mental activity. For example, having noticed that I was carefully shuffling a bit around the house, I have chosen to walk briskly and with purpose, even when it’s only the fifteen feet from my study to the kitchen. I have begun walking, dancing, and going up the stairs sideways, all of which are good for balance. I have found where the footing is best to go downstairs without holding onto the railing, doing so mindfully to improve my agility. I also walk faster and have added two miles to my daily walks, aspiring toward five miles each day.

Aging is a time for mindfulness and safety since accidents are less forgiving than in childhood and youth. But it is not a time for surrender. It is a time for persistence and growth and if you are in relatively good health, you must choose to expand--rather than contract--your healthy physical and mental activity. While I do not plan on running a marathon, I can train to walk a half marathon or a 10K, do more stretching, and travel to new places. My wife and I have never been to Ireland, although we have traveled extensively in England, Scotland, and the European mainland. So, our plan is to journey through Ireland this fall with a return trip to Scotland’s holy spots in 2026. While not the biggest deal, we also hope to take a road trip through southwest USA with our grandchildren next year. I plan to refresh my language skills and improve my French or Spanish along with our oldest grandchild. I am not a big puzzle fan, but I continue to stretch my mind by doing research and writing about the relationship of spirituality and politics. We can all enhance the operations of our gray cells, as Agatha Christie’s “Hercule Poirot” counsels.

Wellbeing is as much a result of adventure as it is a result of care. We can do much more than we imagine physically, mentally, politically, and relationally--if we are in reasonable health-- to forestall the aging process, become spiritually and physically younger, and add to the zest of life. There is a middle ground between rusting out and burning out, and that is living warmly and purposefully to fulfill our current vocation as elders. From a religious standpoint, we can take heart that God is not done with us. We are constantly being inspired, and like God, we can do a new thing–sojourn on a Holy Adventure–to live fully and abundantly despite our age.