The Sunset of Life

I walked down the corridor checking the numbers posted on plastic plaques outside a never-ending line of doors.  As I passed rooms I heard the sounds of people cursing, people crying, TV’s broadcasting the news, and a handful of persons visiting with family and friends.  I had been through these halls a number of times before to visit other people, but today I was visiting someone new.  As a young minister on staff at a local church, I shared the rotation of hospital and nursing home visits with other ministers.  Today, Ms. Brown was on my list.

I knew Ms. Brown’s grandchildren well.  They were in the student ministry I led at the church.  However, I had not met Ms. Brown.  I understood she had been sick for sometime.  She was frequently in and out of facilities like this one.  When I saw her name on the list of those to visit I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Finally, I arrived at the door.  I knocked softly and inquired if it was okay for me to enter.  A small voice welcomed me.  When I walked in there were machines whirring and dispensing data on small screens that were unrecognizable to me.  There were tubes running to and fro around Ms. Brown.  I introduced myself to the elderly lady before me.  Immediately, her face lit up and she began talking.  Her sweet spirit filled the time of our visit, which ended up being longer than normal.  As I exited the room I was amazed how someone in such a condition in the latter years of life could be so kind-hearted.

Not every visit I have made to those in the sunset of life has been as pleasant.  Many were filled with inner bitterness that had consumed their souls as much as illness had consumed their body.  Others were engulfed in deep regret.  They longed to right a relationship or re-do the events that had long since transpired. 

Still, there are some like Ms. Brown.  Their lives have been full of love. While they have not been perfect (none of us are) they live with few regrets.  They have chosen to pass the days of their life with hope and joy even as those days are drawing to a close.  Psychologists and sociologists have studied the aging brain for decades and drawn some incredible conclusions.  Many have come to the same conclusion: the attitude you cultivate over the course of your life will be magnified in your final years.

What this means for all of us is the kind of person we choose to be today will ultimately be the kind of person we become tomorrow.  We would all like to believe we are getting better with age.  Hopefully we are more wise and understanding as the years of life come and go.  However, our chosen outlook on life today will greatly affect the person our grandchildren and great grandchildren will become acquainted with.  We cannot stop the aging and decay of our bodies.  We can choose to stop the decay of our attitudes, though.  Who do you hope to be in the sunset of life?