My mother-in-law passed on to her reward last week. She survived two husbands, and two sons. I took care of her every need, be it physical or medical, and tried to the very best of my ability to make her as comfortable as possible in her declining years. She would have been 98 in April.
While speaking with nurses in her charge, they offered condolences, and told me how much they appreciated my caring for her, even though she was some distance from me. I was completely surprised when they told me some children drop their parents off at the nursing home, and never saw nor heard from them again. I wasn’t prepared to hear such. It is a violation of Scripture.
“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
The following poem was written by an old man in a nursing home. After his death, nurses found the poem and wanted to share it with the world. It is in that respect I share it now with you.
CRANKY OLD MAN
“What do you see nurses? . . . . . . . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . . .when you are looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food . . . . and makes no reply
When you say in a loud voice . . . . ‘I do wish you’d try!’
Who seems not to notice . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . A sock or a shoe?
Who resisting or not. . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding. . . . The long day to fill?
Is that what you’re thinking? . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse. . . .you’re not looking at me.
I’ll tell you who I am . . . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do your bidding, . . . as I eat at your will.
I’m a small child of Ten . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . who love one another.
A young boy of Sixteen . . . with wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now. . a girl he’ll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now. . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide. . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other. . . . With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . . to see I don’t mourn,
At Fifty, once more, . . . . Babies play ’round my knee,
Again, we know children. . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
For my young are all rearing. . young of their own.
And I think of the years. . . And the love that I’ve known.
I’m now an old man . . . . and nature is cruel.
It’s jest to make old age . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone. . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass. A young man still dwells,
And now and again. . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys. . . . I remember the pain.
And I’m loving and living . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact. . . .that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man. Look closer . . . . see . . . . . ME!!
~ Dave Griffith
“The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.” Proverbs 16:31
“And even to your old age I Am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4
“Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed Thy strength unto this generation, and Thy power to every one that is to come.”
Psalms 71:18
“Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. Psalms 71:9
–
“The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.” Proverbs 20:29
“I have been young, and now am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Psalms 37:25
“And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.” Job 11:17
“And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter-in-law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. Ruth 4:15
There is beauty and grace in an older woman I know. She is a member of the congregation I attend. She never sees me but what she hugs and kisses me and tells me I have the most beautiful singing voice and smell so good. Everyone loves her dearly. She is just as beautiful today as when younger. It is her soul, her spirit, and the loveliness of her Christian life which makes her one of the most beautiful women I know. Her name is Anna.
“The best and most beautiful things of this world can’t be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart!
Eileen Light