When I grow up get to the nursing home, I want to be .....

What sort of person do you want to be when you get to the nursing home?  Many of us think about what we want to be or do when we grow up, but one day, if we get old enough we will find ourselves in a nursing home (or its equivalent).  So, what is your vision for when you get there?  Many of the go to answers don't apply:

• I want this sort of job ....... you will be retired
• I want to have more children ..... highly unlikely
• I want to travel the world ..... you will be less able to do that
• I want to meet lots of new people ..... that will probably tire you out
• I want to have a nice garden ....... only if others do the work

The answer to this question has to be framed much more around the sort of people we are rather than the sorts of things we do.

I have thought a bit about this question and here are some of my thoughts:

I want to be a person:

• who has a strong and constant awareness of God being with me
• who has a rich and effective prayer life that helps those inside and outside the walls of the nursing home
• who is full of joy even in the midst of difficult situations and declining health
• who is able to consistently show love and care to other residents and staff so they feel like they have been blessed
• who is able to share with people of a variety of ages some of the wisdom I have gained from following Jesus through my life.

So I guess I had better cooperate with God now on those things because I won't be able to flip a switch and turn those qualities on when I get there.

What about you?

photo credit: Ghost Zimmer via photopin (license)