I’ll Remind You-Jessica June Rose

This song makes me cry every time I watch it!  Our culture, doesn’t take PERSONAL responsibility for the elderly in their lives.  We have so much to be gratefultful for and to learn from.  We are robbing ourselves of the spiritual blessings that come from doing what we are supposed to do.  As hard as it is to envision the day my mother is old and unable to take care of herself, it is inevitable, that day will come as it comes for everyone.  We need to prepare our hearts to do what it right, to take care of them.  Fortunately when you have siblings, the hardships that come are a load that can be shared.

When I watch this video, I think of myself as the mother, that ages.  Will my daughters brush my hair, or will they be so selfishly consumed with their lives.  Will my sons, rise up and take care of the old lady, their father??? Imagine sacrificing your younger days, changing diapers, morning sickness, the weariness that can come from working so hard to diligently train, and then, you forget to talk to your kids and teach them about what our responsibility is in regards to taking care of those older in our lives.  Do you want this to be your destiny?  Or not?

I think of all the older folk in the nursing homes, who had no children, no one to take care of them.  Or the older folk who do have kids, but they either choose not to take care of them, because that is what our culture does, or they can not because of other reasons.  So many variables to consider.  How sad, they are in a strange place, with people they don’t have a history with, struggling to find purpose, struggling to enjoy life.  This is the time in their life, when they should be telling stories of “history” that they lived through to their great grandkids, but are they?  Can they?  Let them!

What we do TODAY builds the relationships that will last into those years. Work hard mom at the relationships you have with your little ones… they should be taking care of you when you are old, especially if your husband dies before you (which is the statistical average).  What you put into your relationships is what you SOW, so sow well, sow purposefully and intentional.  Teach your children, DREAM with your children about what you hope for when you are a grandma.

I know you make think I am crazy, but yes, I dream with my kids about this often.  I talk to them about how excited I am to be a grandma someday!  I visioneer with them about how when “I am living with them”…   I know you might be thinking, wow… that puts pressure on the kids.  No, it puts expectations, vision, & dreams.  If we want a different future, one where we are making generational impact into our elderly years, we need to dream that with our kids, so that they help us to do that.  That is what God calls us to do, they can be the instrument that enables us to be able to obey God in this capacity.  We need to dream this way, fighting against a culture that just throws elderly in the nursing homes.

Disclaimer:  I am not trying to make anyone feel judged if they haven’t taken care of their parents… or grand parents…obviously, there are times when professional care is needed as well, if hospice is not an option, and their health is not well enough to be living with you, you need to do what is best for their health and care, but even saying that… if I were old and my health was going, I would much rather die with my family, enjoying watching them grow, than be all alone.  Alone waiting to die, how sad!

Let’s Start a New Legacy within our Families, Dreaming with our kids, and then putting those dreams to action by visiting those nursing homes and giving a little love and hope to those who have gone before.

Let’s team up Church- Let’s set a new standard in our culture!

Let’s Leave an Intentional Legacy that Our Kids are Proud of and Can Learn From,

Angie