Such a nice
read not just for senior citizens but for all of us. Getting old is a reality
that we need to embrace and prepare for 😊
*The Sky
Gets Dark, Slowly*
Mao Dun
literary prize winner Zhou Daxin’s latest novel to be published, “The Sky Gets
Dark, Slowly”, is a sensitive exploration of old age and the complex, hidden
emotional worlds of the elderly in a rapidly ageing population.
In it he
writes, “…Many elderly speak as though they know everything, but of old age
they are in fact as ignorant as children. Many elderly are in fact, completely
unprepared for what they are to face when it comes to getting old and the road
that lays ahead of them.
In the time
between a person turning 60 years old, as they begin to age, right until all
the lights go out and the sky gets dark, there are some situations to keep in
mind, so that you will be prepared for what is to come, and you will not panic.
1.
The people by your side will only continue to grow smaller in number. People in
your parents’ and grandparents’ generation have largely all left, whilst many
your peers will increasingly find it harder to look after themselves, and the
younger generations will all be busy with their own lives. Even your wife or
husband may depart earlier than you, or than you would expect, and what might
then come are days of emptiness. You will have to learn how to live alone, and
to enjoy and embrace solitude.
2.
Society will care less and less for you. No matter how glorious your previous
career was or how famous you were, ageing will always transform you into a
regular old man and old lady. The spotlight no longer shines on you, and you
have to learn to contend with standing quietly in one corner, to admire and
appreciate the hubbub and views that come after you, and you must overcome the
urge to be envious or grumble.
3.
The road ahead will be rocky and full of precarity. Fractures, cardio-vascular blockages,
brain atrophy, cancer… these are all possible guests that could pay you a visit
any time, and you would not be able to turn them away. You will have to live
with illness and ailments, to view them as friends, even; do not fantasise
about stable, quiet days without any trouble in your body. Maintaining a
positive mentality and get appropriate, adequate exercise is your duty, and you
have to encourage yourself to keep at it consistently.
4.
Prepare for bed-bound life, a return to the infant state. Our mothers brought
us into this world on a bed, and after a journey of twists and turns and a life
of struggle, we return to our starting point – the bed – and to the state of
having to be looked after by others. The only difference being, where we once had
our mothers to care for us, when we prepare to leave, we may not have our kin
to look after us. Even if we have kin, their care may never come close to that
of your mother’s; you will, more likely than not, be cared for by nursing staff
who bear zero relation to you, wearing smiles on their faces all whilst
carrying weariness and boredom in their hearts. Lay still and don’t be
difficult; remember to be grateful.
5.
There will be many swindlers and scammers along the way. Many of them know that
the elderly have lots of savings, and will endlessly be thinking of ways to
cheat them of their money: through scam phone calls, text messages, mail, food
and product samples, get-rich-quick schemes, products for longevity or
enlightenment… basically, all they want is to get all the money. Beware, and be
careful, hold your money close to you. A fool and his money are soon parted, so
spend your pennies wisely.
Before the
sky gets dark, the last stretches of life’s journey will gradually get dimmer
and dimmer; naturally, it will be harder to see the path ahead that you are
treading towards, and it will be harder to keep going forward. As such, upon
turning 60, it would do us all well to see life for what it is, to cherish what
we have, to enjoy life whilst we can, and to not take on society’s troubles or
your children’s and grandchildren’s affairs on for yourself. Stay humble, don’t
act superior on account of your own age and talk down to others – this will
hurt yourself as much as it will hurt others. As we get older, all the better
should we be able to understand what respect is and what it counts for. In
these later days of your lives, you have to understand what it means, to let go
of your attachments, to mentally prepare yourself. The way of nature is the way
of life; go with its flow, and live with equanimity.
*******For
all of us, a nice read, very beautiful, very true .... !
Hardly the
day started and ... it is already six o'clock in the evening.
Barely
arrived on Monday and it's already Friday.
... and the
month is almost over.
... and the year is almost up.
... and already 50 or 60 or 70 years of our lives have passed.
... and we realize that we lost our parents, friends.
and we realize that it is too late to go back ...
So ... Let's
try to take full advantage of the time we have left ...
Let's not stop looking for activities that we like ...
Let's put color in our greyness ...
Let's smile at the little things in life that put balm in our hearts.
And yet, we
must continue to enjoy serenely the time that remains.
Let's try to eliminate the "after" ...
I do it after ...
I will say after ...
I will think about it after ...
We leave everything for 'later' as if "after" was ours.
Because what
we do not understand is that:
after, the coffee cools ...
after, priorities change ...
after, the charm is broken ...
after, health passes ...
after, the children grow up ...
after, the parents get older ...
after, the promises are forgotten ...
after, the day becomes the night ...
after, life ends ...
And all that afters, we find it's often too late ....
So ... leave
nothing for 'later' ...
Because in always waiting for later, we can lose the best moments,
the best experiences,
the best friends,
the best family ...
The day is today ... The moment is now ...
We are no
longer at the age where we can afford to postpone until tomorrow what needs to
be done right away.
So let's see
if you'll have time to read this message and then share it.
Or maybe
you'll leave it for ... "later" ...
And you will not share it "ever" ....
Even share
with those who are not yet "seniors".
May you be
well and happy 🙏🙏🙏
