Why is it that old people are usually either really nice or really mean? I run into a lot of both types here at the bank. I often hear people say, "he must of had a rough life." I don't think that's it. Lots of people who have had rough lives are still very kind. The one difference I've noticed between those who are nice and those who are mean is that the nice older people have people who love them and either depend on them or take care of them, and the meaner ones are the ones who divorced years ago and/or have no children, etc.
This morning, I got to talk to the nicest old man. He was chatting with us and talking about how he had lost his first wife to leukemia and his current wife is fighting cancer. He himself has had a stroke, which has slowed him down a bit physically, but he was still as kind and cheerful as he could be. I don't know how someone could have it in them to deal with that, but he just smiled and said, "All I pray for is that I'll live long enough to take care of her." Now that's love.
Beautiful observation. He was listening at the wedding ceremony...and apparently he listened in Sunday School, too.
Posted by: SonofThunder at September 29, 2003 12:54 PMMean old people were selfish young people. They never got what they thought they deserved and so they are mad at the world.
Nice old people learned to give to others when they were young and now giving to others is a habit.
How we begin is how we end (unless grace intervenes).
Posted by: Papa at September 29, 2003 05:02 PMI have a fear of becoming a mean old lady...of getting dementia and cussing at everybody all the time. If only that would motivate me to a more passionate pursuit of sanctification!
Posted by: Valerie (Kyriosity) at September 30, 2003 12:13 PMLeave it to Papa Booth to make it simple. Well said.
Posted by: SonofThunder at September 30, 2003 12:20 PMMy experience with older people has been like yours Christin, and you're right, when you are able to find out a little about their life, it usually seems to involve some type of situation where they have not truly selflessly loved others and now at the dusk of their lives the bitterness becomes overwhelming.
Posted by: Tom at September 30, 2003 10:02 PM