By continuing to learn, explore and grow deep into our golden years, we can all resist the idea that we are just 'Waiting for God'.
During the early to mid 90's there was a wonderful British television series called Waiting for God. The show is about two residents of a retirement home, Tom and Diana, who form an unlikely friendship when fate sees them placed in adjacent rooms. Tom’s upbeat, optimistic and playful character contrasts with Diana’s cynicism and razor wit to great comedic effect, as the pair gets up to mischief for their own amusement.
The first episode begins with Tom’s arrival at Bayview where his son Geoffrey, under pressure from his horrid wife, is essentially palming the old man off. As the name of the TV show suggests, he’s being sent to the retirement home to while away his remaining years until the day he meets God. Of course Tom is too spirited to accept such a fate, but it does raise an interesting question: how many of us see our retirement years as the end of the road?
In Waiting for God, Tom and Diana stand up to the greedy director of the retirement home and his dim-witted, patronising sidekick. We warm to them because we cheer on their resistance to forces that would quash their spirit. (Click HERE to watch full episodes of Waiting for God.)
In reality, these forces usually don’t take the form of the ‘Baddies’, but instead health issues, loss or isolation can rob us of our spark. By ensuring that we as aware of the issues and tackle isolation and the decline of meaningfulness in our lives head on, we can drastically improve our lot - and even increase life expectancy. Feeling like a useful and engaged member of society is important to all of us, and it becomes no less important as we grow older.
In the words of William S. Burroughs, “when you stop growing you start dying.” If your friends, loved ones or especially your parents are getting older, there is a good chance that one day soon they may need your support. By continuing to learn, explore and grow deep into our golden years, we can all resist the idea that we are just Waiting for God.
If you live far away from your elderly parents, or if you simply aren’t able to give them as much support as you’d like, the CareCompany can help. Whatever their needs, we will tailor a suitable package around them.
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