“I should continue to weed the garden of my life, remove yesterday’s flowers and branches, and foster new growth.”
This is No. 7 in a list of nine personal responsibilities James L. Birren set for himself under an umbrella theme of “Resourceful Aging.” It merits emphasis because some people as they age become creatures of habit, comfortable in ruts whose ridges grow imperceptibly into walls. They may be reluctant to prune the branches of a friendship with someone whose interests no longer match their own or sever their membership in a group that’s grown dormant.
At the time he developed “My Responsibilities for My Old Age,” Birren headed the Borun Center for Gerontological Research at the University of California. Here’s the complete list:
1. I should honor my children and all children and foster their growth.
2. I should avoid becoming bitter if overlooked by the passing young and by events. May my spirit not be eroded by the acids of life.
3. I should continue to seek information and learning and avoid dogmatic positions and postures.
4. I should use the experience of my years for attaining fairness and justice for others.
5. I should foster my physical and mental health. Should I have poor health, I should cushion its impact so that it does not weigh unduly upon others.
6. I should manage prudently and with affection my relationship with others and also initiate the expression and caring for others.
7. I should continue to weed the garden of my life, remove yesterday’s flowers and branches, and foster new growth.
8. I should prepare others and myself for my death.
9. I should leave the land and its people better than I found them. May I plant seeds that will bloom off theirs in springs I will not see.
As you ponder these thoughts, keep in mind Ashleigh Brilliant’s observation: “Life can be good while it lasts, and it’s guaranteed to last your whole lifetime.”
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