Pope Francis: The Elderly are Gifts

Nicholas and Great Grandma (Doug's Grandmother)

More reasons to love Pope Francis -- his esteem for the role the elderly, and grandparents can and should hold in our lives.  He spoke yesterday (find that link here), and last November (here) about how individuals and nations need to maintain relationships with the elderly.  These are both beautiful rebuttals to last week's news about why Ezekiel Emanuel hopes to die at 75. (See my rant about that here.)

"But they (Elizabeth and Zechariah) were experts in faith, experts in God, experts in the hope that comes from him: and this is what the world needs in every age.  Mary was able to listen to those elderly and amazed parents; she treasured their wisdom, and it proved precious for her in her journey as a woman, as a wife and as a mother."  --Pope Francis' Sept. 28, 2014 Homily

Nicholas loves Great-Grandma.  I think all of her great-grandchildren are enamored with her, and it has often occurred to me that one reason for this is simply that she slows down with them.  As parents, that can be hard to do, at least as often as we'd like.  But when we visit with Great-Grandma, she likes nothing more than to play kitchen, or read books, or craft flowers out of clay.  The child gets her full attention.  What a gift that is!  Great-Grandma was an artist, and she has creative ideas about making dioramas, and little snowmen ornaments, and all kinds of things that wouldn't occur to me.  Our children benefit from her love, as well as from the talents with which God blessed her.  Great-Grandma may not see as well as she once did, but she certainly can love.  She (and Doug's Grandfather) also have taught me that the secret to a long, happy life is to stay active, to be involved in your children and grandchildren's lives, and to help out those around you as long as you can.  I hope to be like her when I grow up:-)

 

One cute story about Nick is that when I said something briefly the other day about "calling Great-Grandma," he perked right up, pointed to the phone in my hand, and said, "Call! Call!"