Good morning…
“Jung divided life into two phases. The first phase, or ‘morning,’ is reserved for relating and orienting to the outer world by developing the ego,” we read aloud as a class yesterday from page 9 of Sue Monk Kidd’s When The Heart Waits. “The second half, or ‘afternoon,’ is for adapting to the inner world by developing the full and true self. The midlife transition between the two Jung likened to a difficult birth.”
“When I read your post this morning about your parents moving into their new home in a continuing care, retirement community,” one astute woman said, “I thought to myself, ‘For many of us there is also an “evening” of life.’ Your parents are living into the ‘evening’ of life.”
Many of you loved yesterday’s post (touch “Previous” at the top of this page to revisit). Here are some of your responses, sewn sweetly together: “This is just lovely! Sue, I love this post so much!! May the Lord bless your Mother and Father and all of you! Love the pic too! I absolutely adore this picture! There’s so much love and zest for life in their beautiful faces. OMG, your parents are absolutely the cutest and just how I pictured them!! Their wisdom is just precious – no wonder you are so wonderful! Aren’t we so fortunate to have such good models for living life fully? God is so so good!♥️”
One of you expanded upon your own “evening” experience: “Thank you for sharing this morning about the different seasons of life involving your parents. I’m in that season and have been living in a small condo for 5 years now and it’s amazing how God has brought so many people into my life I would never have known otherwise. Neighbors who are needy. Friends who are lonely like me. I feed them, laugh with them, cry with them, and love on them. I thank God for giving me strength at this stage of life to care for others. We gathered in my small space and had a service to say goodbye to a friend who passed in the night. God is so good. I’m a blessed woman at 80 years old with a husband who is 84, in an assisted living home, suffering from dementia. God walks with me every step I take and blesses me minute by minute. Thank you for sharing about your precious parents. It spoke to me. Made me aware of how the stage of life doesn’t matter, if we remain open and available to God’s blessings each day.”
Another one reflected back on her mother’s fruitful “evening” experience: “Oh Sue. Your post made me think about so many wonderful memories I had with my mom during the 11 years she lived at a continuing care facility in Gainesville. She and my dad had planned to move together, but he died before it was finished building.
Those were happy years for her. She loved meeting new people and embraced this new phase of life. I heard her say dozens of times how fortunate she was to live in such a nice place where she received such excellent care.
One resident told me it was so interesting meeting new people and hearing their stories especially as you were seated together at dinner. He went on to say, by the time they might be seated together again, they had forgotten one another’s stories, so they got to share them all over again! We all laughed and laughed at that as it was so true.
Observing my mom during those 11 years taught me much. Her attitude of gratitude helped her to not resist the aging process but to understand it as part of life. Her faith brought her comfort in knowing that the end of this life would usher her in to eternal life with Jesus and so many who went before her. As Paul said, ‘…to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord.’ Thank you for letting me reminisce. Treasure those moments with your parents.”
Whether you are waking to life’s “morning” or “midlife,” life’s “afternoon” or “evening,” remain open and available to God’s blessings today.
Now He who has made us and prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the [Holy] Spirit as a pledge [a guarantee, a down payment on the fulfillment of His promise]…Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth] or away from home [and with Him], it is our [constant] ambition to be pleasing to Him (2 Corinthians 5:5, 9, AMP).
…Sue…
P.S. Because of the predicted rain, snow, and ice in Atlanta today, schools are closed and our “Living Fully – Dying Well” seminar scheduled for this morning is being postponed. I will share details of the rescheduling as they firmly form.
