Finding inspiration in the wisdom of elders
When your parents are retired, you might come to question what’s next for them
It's normal for everyone to feel some degree of uncertainty when they transition into a new stage in life, whether it be the end of their career or their old age. Your parents can be very helpful at this time with moments they're able to share with you as they face many new ideas and challenges too. Here are some books to help guide your family through a tumultuous period.
There’s nothing like a conversation with someone who has just about everything life has to offer. So many people take their parents and grandparents for granted, but they are the richest resources when it comes to guidance. Their wisdom goes beyond advice on raising children and budgeting money. The real advice you need probably doesn't come from your own parents or your in-laws either, but from their parents and grandparents. These people endure more struggles than you will ever have to face, so they really know some of the secrets that help others get through hard times. I thought I would put together a list of books that really resonate with people who want to learn everything they can about life from those who have walked through all the hardships themselves.
The online world has given us the ability to connect with people around the world simply by using a keyboard and a browser. It is very easy to lose yourself in the sea of information that is available without any real purpose, which can lead to feelings of anxiety and confusion. This article offers some suggestions to help you pick up your game and find what makes sense for you right now as you navigate the world of new technology.
Taking care of an elderly parent isn't easy, and there's no single right way to do it. The trick is knowing what's important to them and what's not, keeping an open mind when they ask for something you don't understand, and being attentive when they want something from you.
Let's face it, we all grow up imagining that we'll have it all together in our later years. It's natural to want to share our hopes and dreams with our parents, but sometimes the price of venting is just too high. For these families, it was much easier to let go of their dreams than it was to let go of their parents.
When my father died at the age of 71, I thought I had a handle on what his funeral should be like. It would take place in an old-fashioned chapel with dark wood pews and antique arrangements at a small farmhouse near my hometown in rural Virginia. My father was born in the Depression, so I wanted a simple ceremony that captured some of his humble beginnings and the values he held dear. I didn't want to spend any money; my father worked for his entire working life. My decorations would be homemade in keeping with the times, and there would be no elaborate displays of wealth or flashiness. Just family, friends, and a few cows grazing on our land.
I got what I wished for, but it was also a funeral that became a testament to my father's principles. More than two hundred people from across the country attended the service, many in four-wheel-drive vehicles to get to our rural road. They strolled into a living room transformed into a chapel by potted trees and antique wallpaper. My father's white casket sat on an altar draped with long cloths of his favorite color, green. People told stories of my father spending countless hours flying planes and taking people on rides they would never forget. Others shared stories of him rescuing them from rattlesnakes, building their homes, or simply showing up each Thanksgiving with a freshly killed wild turkey. In a display of power, his brother took off his hearing aid and dropped it on the floor, something he had never done in public. As everyone gasped, he told the congregation that at my father's funeral, they could do whatever they wanted. It was a statement on my father's life of liberation from traditional roles and expectations.
As I think back on the day, I realize that many funerals aren't really about honoring what we've lost; they're about honoring what we have left. Rather than be focused on our mortality, they are an opportunity to focus on our lives—and to use them to remember those who died and celebrate their lives.
The right words at the right time can make a huge difference in the lives of those you love. But as everyone knows, timing is everything. If you want to know what to say when your older parent tells you he has cancer, or what to say when your mother nearly dies from an abrupt heart attack, this article offers some great suggestions.
There are many things that can happen between the death of a loved one and the funeral—there's illness or accident, an overdose or suicide.
When a family member has died prematurely, there may be a need to have them cremated immediately. Although this is highly recommended to avoid the spread of bacteria, it doesn't necessarily mean that a funeral service can't also be held. This article offers some suggestions for planning a funeral service after the cremation.
When someone you love dies, we often take comfort in rituals and traditions. Funerals are one way that we know how to cope with this loss. But sometimes, it can be difficult to know what to do when faced with a sudden death. Here are some ideas that will help make planning your loved one's funeral as easy as possible in these times of need.
The art of grieving is universal. It is the process of coming to terms with the loss and moving on from the experience. The great range of faiths and cultures around the world have developed various ways of coping with death, but at their core, all faith traditions consist of three steps: denial, anger/rage, and ultimately acceptance.
When a loved one passes away suddenly or unexpectedly, it may be difficult to understand what to do about his or her affairs while you are trying to come to terms with this tragedy. If you have a limited amount of time and money for items such as certain kinds of insurance coverage or future financial needs, this article will give you some good ideas about how you can plan ahead for these problems.
Conclusion
We have covered a lot of ground in this article, and it might seem like an impossible task to go from where you are now to where you want to be. The good news is that, with a little effort on your part, you can get there.
It's as if you're standing at the edge of a canyon with no bridge in sight. It may seem impossible to cross that yawning chasm. But if you start running toward the farthest edge of the canyon, one step at a time, soon enough you'll find yourself on the other side.