We are in conflict with ourselves many times during life. Our future gives cause for concern; the past hold up captured, therefore we miss the future.
The grief and sorrow asked the hope, "How are you?" The hope answered, " I am a little bit low and sad today!" The sorrow replied sarcastic, "I hope so!"
Nobody wants to really know what might happen after reaching the retirement age. Sure, if we can observe our neighbors and all other people in our surroundings, we really don't like to know it. If we treat ourselves with care, our real age will not be shown. I don't make any secret celebrating my 65th birthday this year. I enjoyed. I was proud to reach this age with God's help.
I am retiree now - but I love to continue my teaching at the University of Southeastern Philippines and offer my services as German Honorary Consul for the Mindanao people.
If I look around from to time, it seems that the respectable treatment of our beloved seniors around us are disappearing into the past and are forgotten by the younger generation. Praising the elderly nowadays means to attest them impudent and imperishable youth-fullness.
I must confess, I was not much better while talking to my parents and grandparents, who reached the 92th and 93rd birthdays with the help of our Almighty God. Especially my mother was strong, indefatigable, a phenomenon, intellectual and spiritual on top until her last breath.
Let's forget our respect, sometimes just being artificial or an affected stammering, that "our old lady" or "our old gentleman" hasn't become senile yet.
On our way to an honorable and respectful age, we should try to fulfill some of our greatest longings in life.
During the last decades I met many people around the whole globe. Unbelievable, I found out, no matter where in this world, the conflicting attitude is everywhere. "It's an absolute certainty, that's doubts are the main certainty!" stressed already the German Author, philosopher and dramatist Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956).
Please allow me, once in a while being able to say NO. Please allow me deleting inferior and defeatist feelings. Please allow me admitting, that I can't do everything during a single day. Please allow me being no longer afraid about other people and their spiteful comments about me.
Please allow me accepting my silence. Please accept me being terrible tired from time to time. Please allow me being excused even without having an intelligent reply. Please allow me being carried by salvation and bliss.
Hopefully, we may have enough understanding people with us to accompany us during the voyage of our sometimes very conflicting life. Thoughts to guide us by. Especially today on Christmas Day.
