Every year medical science comes up with new ways to help us live longer – for good or not so much. We seem to think that’s what we want, don’t we?But what are we really getting in the bargain for longer life . . and do we have what it takes to graciously accept what we get?
Where am I heading, you ask? I’m inviting you for a short stroll down the road of scientifically-assisted longevity, and the dependence that’s bound to follow . . upon family . . friends . . strangers.
I’m asking you to take a quick look at how “prepared” you are to become dependent on others to care for you while you’re doing all that aging through all the extra years you asked science to give you. You certainly don’t think extra time comes without a price?!
And even if you don’t buy into the scientific enhancement of your years, you know you can’t escape the indulgent lifestyle you’ve been leading all these years.
Let’s face it: If science doesn’t kill you, your habits most likely will.
In any case, chances are fairly good that few of us will make it to the end of our years as the independent creatures we see ourselves to be. Most of us are going to end up dependent – to some degree or other – on the good will and caring of someone else.
Start Getting Acquainted With Dependence
Be it short of long term . . assisted living . . LTC . . with family involvement or not . .it’s going to behoove us to get acquainted the better side of dependence.
What’s that?! What better side?! I’m sorry for the confusion. What I’m saying is that we’ll be doing ourselves a real favor by learning to open the gifts of gracious dependence (i.e., discovering the grace to be gained in being dependent on others).
Okay, you think I’m loopy, right? That’s fair. After all, everything up through life’s first half is focused on you as an individual . . standing on your own two feet . . making a name for yourself . . being in total control.
Now, here I am, telling you the real grace to be gained in life’s second half comes from the inside.
Let’s face it: Unplanned and unplanned for things happen as we get older.
The lifestyles we flaunted up till now are starting to turn on us.
The multitude of stresses we swallowed as we climbed that corporate or professional ladder . . and raised families . . and piled our plates higher and higher with the stuff we had no business biting into a few years back . . have been waiting patiently all this time to teach us the lessons we pretended we’d never have to learn.
Let’s be honest with ourselves, though. Those lessons are starting to come home. And some of us – or at least some of our middle-aged friends and family members – are learning hard lessons as bodies and finances and marriages and all the rest start to break down.
And even though we watched as our parents aged through life’s second half, we kept believing we were immune. Or, maybe we just kept wishing we were immune.
While it is never too early to be prepared, putting things off can have very unintended results that can cause serious anxiety, family feuds, and significant monetary losses. Seek out the advice from an Elder Law Attorney today and make sure your goals and your plan are in sync so you can rest assured that you are prepared!
