Every so often the circumstances of life offer us perspective and the opportunity to reset our view of our own life - to balance it you might say.
My husband and I have been flooded with those little signs that remind you that you are advancing in age. Body parts ache, memories dull, the doctor and drug store become numbers on your speed dial. But yesterday we had the chance to see just how old we aren't. We were on our way home from a trip to Costco and had decided to take the long way around our block to check the mail. We happened upon an elderly couple, both with walkers. The man was on the ground and the wife was trying to problem solve how to help him up. We stopped and provided assistance walking the gentleman back to his porch. He really only wanted help to stand up but he was clearly in need of some additional assistance for safety. I would have preferred to see him into the house, but the porch was as far as he would allow. He had wanted to walk to the mailbox (across the street and about fifty feet down from his home property), lost his balance on the way and ended up "turtled" on the ground.
I'm a firm believer that helping people in such situations deserves no reward. But this episode carried with it a reward that might possibly come under the "priceless" category for us. On the way back to the car I commented, "Don't you feel young now?" And it was the truth. We felt young, capable, and useful in a way we hadn't for a long time. I'm sorry that it came at the discomfort of another and I truly hope that this gentleman is doing well now. Lesson learned - we have lots of good years ahead dispite the changes we see happening to us physically every day.
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