Time to Take a Second Look?

 

    I don’t consider myself as being old, yet, though the prime of my life is sneaking up faster than I would like it to creep. I was at the store today to pick up some items that I needed when an attractive young mother, a stranger with her baby, came up next to me and asked if she could help me carry my items.  I quickly wondered if I looked that feeble.  I told her that I didn’t need help and thanked her for her concern.  My back does hurt occasionally, so I held the shopping-cart tight as I left the store.

   

    I remembered not too long ago asking my own parents after shopping for store items if they needed help carrying those items.  Their reply was always a quick, “No, let me do it my self!”  I wondered then why they refused my help when I could see that they obviously needed it.

 

   I didn’t know how they felt until today when asked the same question.  Maybe it is time for me to take a second look at my aging body and make a better assessment of my health.  Maybe, I am getting old and perhaps I am like they who refused to acknowledge their ages even up until the day they passed away. 

    They say that you really can’t understand poor health until you have it, and then it becomes easier to know how another person feels.  Maybe, trying to understand older people is the same as trying to understand poor health.  There must be a way to understand how older people feel than getting older as well.

    I got to thinking that she wasn’t trying to insinuate that I looked feeble, but was trying to be helpful and not insinuate that I was feeble. I appreciated her kind gesture, however. Perhaps, I reminded her of a loved one whom she had served.  If that is so, then because of my pride, I may have prevented her from blessing my life.  Next time, perhaps, I should let a nice young woman help me if I am lucky enough to receive the offer again.

Tags: Aging Humility Kindness Service Humor

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