Message from an Elderly Man

Opinions, Photo Rehab, , , , , , 42 Comments

During the holidays period, I got an agenda and a book from my father. I failed to notice that there was an envelope in between those, carrying a very special message. Yesterday, I found it.

It humbled me.

I would like to share it with you, my blogging friends.

Lord, teach me to age.
Convince me that the community and my family won’t harm me,
If they exonerate me from my responsibilities,
If they don’t solicit anymore my opinion,
If they choose others to occupy my place,
I will divest myself of the vanity of accumulated experience and of judging myself irreplaceable.
Help me see the law of time, in the gradual detachment of things
Help me to discover, during this transition of roles,
one of the most pulsating expressions of life,
that is renewed under the impulse of your providence.
Lord, may I still be useful on this earth,
contributing with optimism and prayers,
for the joy, faith and courage of those who have the turn of responsibilities.
May I live without losing the humble and serene contact with the world in transformation.
May I not regret the past,
but to know how to make of the days that I may still live, a gift of social healing.
Lord, when I leave my work behind me,
make it be as simple and natural,
as a happy and serene sunset!
Amen.

Written by my father, 89 years old, entrepreneur, businessman, still working.

 

 

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Sharing my views and experiences with words and photos - taken with diverse angles - influenced by the multicultural countries I have lived and worked. I studied Psychology and have an MBA. After working for corporates, I became an entrepreneur and consultant. Cycling, hiking, windsurfing, cooking, reading, yoga, writing and photographing, are no longer just hobbies listed in a resume.

42 thoughts on “Message from an Elderly Man”

        1. You’re most welcome Chris.
          The rehab sort of stopped when I transferred it to Flickr. It was suing lots of memory on the blog and I had to find another solution. But I know it’s not as convenient as using the blog to post. I now just tag it here.

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  9. I can’t tell you how perfectly timed this message is. I’m only 68 but have been feeling the egotistical weight of all that loss and wondering what the hell I’m supposed to be doing next!! I was not done with my work…or at least, so I thought. This gives me a whole new way to look at my current stage in life. I could easily be at the very BEGINNING of the next great adventure. Thank you so much for sharing this. really!

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  11. Lucile thank you for sharing this beautiful intimate prayer that your father shared with you. I am 58 and as we do get older our perspective on life does change. The prayer that your father shared with you shows such a beautiful, humble, sensitive and caring heart. No doubt he has experienced much in his 89 years which molded him and shaped into a man of such tremendous character.

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  12. Beautiful! My 85-year-old father still slips me words of wisdom, hope, and encouragement on occasion. It is a special thing to learn from these guys who have endured life’s battles and still march (happily) on. My greatest hope is to be as resilient and positive as my parents when I am their age.

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  15. Pingback: My Picks Of The Week 2017 – #8 | A Momma's View

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