“Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith “A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!”
–Robert Browning
“Rabbi Ben Ezra”

As one now experiencing growing old, I reread the Browning poem. Should I look forward to old age as he appeared to do? What kind of old age am I likely to have?

My mother’s side of the family exemplified the optimism expressed by the poet. They often lived into their 90’s, typically in good physical and mental health, and also, because of real estate investments in a growing California, with adequate income. My mother spent some of her teen years with them, but returned to Nashville to her birth family to finish high school, eventually marrying my father. She died in her mid nineties, in generally good mental and physical health.

My father’s family members tended to die at younger ages, more often belonging to the working poor, with less access to medical services. My father died suddenly at age 53 of heart problems.

Perhaps I have been the inheritor of my mother’s optimism and my father’s health. No, thankfully, I don’t, so far, have heart problems. I have, however, been given to understand that I can’t be guaranteed that my mental health will be like hers. Indeed, so recent tests indicate, I already am experiencing present memory problems.

Obviously, this discovery is not good news. What do I do with it?

Thankfully, I am, so far, still able to enjoy the activities I’ve always enjoyed: reading, writing stories, walking, church activities, family meals.

I’m a Jesus follower, so I check with how He might lead in a situation like this. He died young, so I don’t have examples of how His actually living in old age would be.

Somebody once asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is. His answer: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-40.)

How do I do that? Perhaps I begin with developing that inner spiritual life: private time with God, public worship and study with others who seek to grow in His ways.

Then? Serving others? To answer that, I come back to doing what I have done since I made up stories as a three-year-old. Writing stories for others, as much as I’m given time and ability to do this.

Perhaps that will do as a beginning. We’ll see where God leads while I’m able to serve.