Recently, I've come to believe that aging and becoming fragile serve to teach others, such as our children or caregivers, to be less selfish. Here's how I arrived at this perspective.
The Bible commands us to “do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4, NASB).
People frequently concentrate on their goals, dreams, and aspirations, pondering what they wish to achieve and how they want to live. In this process, they often plan their lives without taking into account their parents or older siblings. These significant individuals are commonly disregarded when making decisions or imagining the future, highlighting our innate selfishness.
As our parents or other relatives such as aunts, uncles, and grandparents age, they often require more attention due to the deterioration of their bodies and health. Some of them may not need much assistance since they can still manage tasks like bathing or showering, dressing, preparing a sandwich, and some even continue driving into advanced age. But they too get to a point where they decline in a such way, that you need to take care of these things for them as well, week, months or years before they die.
Some people experience such significant decline in their later years that they become bedridden or require assistance with everything, even if they can walk slowly with a walker or use a wheelchair. In such situations, they need help with personal hygiene, meal preparation, transportation, and companionship. Reading this should give you an idea of how every minute of your time is devoted to someone else. You can't make plans for your future, pursue dreams, or embark on new adventures because this person needs your assistance. You might need to leave your job to care for them or visit them every night after work and every day of the weekend. There is no time for yourself.
Some might see this as a blessing, not as a burden, but some people are brought to the realization that they are selfish through what happens to the ones they love. Many young people or adults don't want to take up the responsibility of taking care of their parents in their elderly years. Threads, X, and Reddit make this very clear when you read through the posts of people. People don't want to take up this responsibility, and I believe it's because the world is getting to a point where people love each other less.
Love = giving yourself to others.
Love = doesn't ask how much nor how long.
Love = helping others even though it takes your resources or dreams away.
Related Posts
