Over the past two weeks, I had the privilege of caring for my 90-year-old father, giving my mother a much-needed “time-out.”
A special experience to be a son to your father again, this time in the role of caregiver.
At the round table where he spends his days — in stillness, with a cup of coffee, a smile, a brief conversation, stands a small sculpture he created later in life. Its title? “Old Age in a Gentle Light.”
That image moved me.
Because what is old age, really?
What does it mean to grow old well?
Not just to stay physically healthy,
but to have paid attention to and tended your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
To have had the courage to shine light on your shadows.
To have been able to let go of what was.
To have become, deep down, who you truly are.
To feel everything falling into place.
Maybe that’s what wisdom really is.
I feel grateful.
That I could simply be there.
To offer some light, where the world is gradually growing dimmer.
To be present in the winter of their lives.
Thank you, Dad and Mom. For everything.
Do you also feel that the seasons of life are here to guide us?
Whether you're in the spring, summer, or autumn of your own life or you’re longing for more space to slow down, deepen, or reorient, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to think along with you.