Sister Nayda Nuñez: The spirituality of the elderly
The sister of the Congregation of the Sisters Daughters of High Grace tells us about her experience in the retirement homes of Santo Domingo:
I begin by pointing out the difference between an elderly person who led a solid spiritual life and another one who led a life of spiritual ignorance. The first, on its arrival at the residence, is kind, patient, and lives in hope. The second one comes full of sadness, disappointment, is disoriented, and yearns for the past and isolates itself, making its loneliness eternal.
Many of the elderly who come to see us are from poor and illiterate families who, in their youth, cared only for work and did not create a stable home. How can we talk to these people about God? - First, to show God's love is to listen to them and accompany them, and then you can talk to them about God. First you discover their story and from there you lead them on the path of encounter with God.
Getting to old age has its difficulties, but also has its wealth. This can be experienced as a grace and not as a disease or an end. The transition from youth to maturity and then to old age can hurt you have not prepared for it, because youth is overestimated. Wrinkles that appear on the face should not be considered a clue of the end. This face expresses the end of a long road, it is the memory of good and bad times. We must be filled with pride by retracing the long way of our life.
We must look at the changes in our bodies not as an ugliness, but as a process. The opportunity God has given us to reach this age. We must look at life as something short, and that is more beautiful when accepted serenely. A sunset is as beautiful as a sunrise. When we reach old age, we must look at life with gratitude, without regret.
Maturity helps to look at life without the impetuousness of youth, do not be afraid of it, it is the time to dream awake. Chapter XX of The Proverbs, verse 29, tells us: " The glory of young men is their strength, grey hair the splendour of the old!” It is in this sense that Pope John Paul II tells us: "Old age is the crowning of the stages of life, in it are the fruits of what has been learned and experienced, the fruits of things suffered and endured. It is the last part of a great symphony; whose harmony confers wisdom. It is wisdom, but you have to know how to understand it. “
Those who have a strong spiritual experience are satisfied with life and adapt to what is their responsibility to live. We see that faith helps to overcome the limits of illness and abandonment on the part of the family. The person who prays has a healthier lifestyle and is less prone to depression, is not afraid of death.
Spiritual life in the elderly can stop being healthy when it focuses on feelings of guilt. It is the painful counterpart of spirituality. In this situation, the older person particularly needs more help and understanding to avoid depression that brings people closer to death with feelings of guilt.
In conclusion, a spiritual life helps to see old age in a positive way. This helps to:
- Lower stress levels
- Encourage social skills
- Enjoy free time
- Strengthen relationships
- Promote a more empathetic attitude
- Increases quality and life expectancy
- Keep body and soul active
- Increase self-esteem
To achieve this, we must believe that it is never too late to continue to achieve goals, because we must encourage attitudes such as:
- Taking care of our physical appearance
- Being open-minded to change
- Strengthening our social relations
- Being open to novelty
- Accepting our limits
- Expressing our feelings without fear
- Taking the reins of our lives
- Seeking and accepting support
- Being useful, collaborating in the world