Thank God for Velcro. Sacred Heart Fr. James Brackin echoes the sentiment of many who have aged into later life’s physical failings.
Fr. Brackin has served as president/rector of Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, as director of province formation and in parish ministry in the poorest areas of the United States. He is currently director of senior life for priests of the Sacred Heart religious community who are approaching retirement or are retired.
Having reached the definitive age of 60, he sees firsthand the possibilities and promises of aging and offered his overview to several hundred, mostly over-50, men and women at Sacred Heart Seminary on May 10.
Fr. Brackin presented a positive outlook in “Spiritual Reflections on the Unfolding of Life” by observing that we have to have a certain amount of living experience to appreciate aging. Like a caterpillar that got lost on its way to a grassy meadow, sometimes we need a little nudge to find the right track.
When many of today’s seniors were young, learning to tie one’s own shoes was a newfound experience in independence. In this century, many children’s shoes have Velcro closures, which are not as much of a challenge as shoelaces.
We will age and there will be a time when our arthritic fingers or inability to bend to reach our feet cause major problems, a time when we no longer can tie our own shoes.
“Velcro has delayed some of those moments, but we will age,” Fr. Brackin states. “My life will still be a blessing. Aging is fulfillment of life, not its curse.
Adults are accustomed to being independent and free to come and go as they please. So, as people advance farther from youth they also believe they don’t need others and will spend millions to delay aging. Today’s world is stuck in an illusion of perpetual youth, making every effort to stay young, as witnessed in the fastest growing medical specialty, plastic surgery.
If we pass on our fear of aging, it means loss and diminishment, according to Fr. Brackin. He advises that to be transformed, we must turn away from the illusion of youth and embrace this sacred journey of diminishment, just as in John 3:30 – “Jesus must increase, I must decrease.”
After age 60, it is common to experience a serious or chronic medical condition. We can do all the right things and still get sick. Fr. Brackin’s first serious sickness was an aggressive form of cancer at age 54. Before surgery, he was reminded of St. Paul’s words, “We do not lose heart, because our inner being is renewed each day even though our body is being destroyed at the same time.” He was drawn to a greater intimacy with Jesus.
This is where God encounters us. Our age is not determined by our looks or physical being, but by what’s in our heart. By trying to stay young, we hinder the process of growth in intimacy with Jesus, who promises never to abandon us.
As we age or diminish, God nudges us to increase dependency on him and intimacy with Jesus.
Fr. Brackin states, “I look up to the open door before me. I do not worry about tying my shoes. Now, Velcro is an old friend, freeing me to find that little nudge from Jesus to move ever closer to him.”
And I can echo that, having long abandoned tie shoes in favor of Velcro when arthritis decreased my hands’ agility. Life became much easier and left time for reflection and putting things in God’s hands.
If we can interact with other seniors at talks like these, we can continue to keep a positive outlook. It’s the small things like a shoelace or Velcro closure that can make the difference in how we look at life.
(For a copy of the tape of Fr. Brackin’s talk, contact Pam Milczarski at Sacred Heart School of Theology, 800-448-7674.)
Upcoming opportunities for keeping a positive outlook on life are offered at Clement Manor, 9405 W. Howard Ave., Greenfield. They include:
— Registration for LifeLong learning fall classes on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 9 a.m. to noon. Term five runs from Sept. 10 to Oct. 17 and term six from Oct. 29 to Dec. 5. Spotlight presentations on Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20 (End of WWII on the Pacific Front presented by Henry Ratenki), and Oct. 11, (Comedy in Community Theater presented by Ray Jivoff of the Skylight Opera Theater). Call (414) 546-7302.
— St. John’s on the Lake, 1840 N. Prospect in Milwaukee, presents “The Best of the Dinah Shore Show” at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 15, a DVD with introduction by resident Audrey Mann whose son was the director/producer. Contact Donna Spars at (313) 831-6875.
— Also in the spiritual arena, from September through May, monthly prayer breakfasts for men of all ages (first Tuesdays from 7-9 a.m.) and prayer luncheons for Christian women (second Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) are presented at TYME OUT Youth Center, Highways K and C in Stone Bank, northwestern Waukesha County. Call (262) 966-1800 for more information.
— For those who are not so mobile, there are several good books that present a positive and even humorous outlook on aspects of aging. Effie Leland Wilder, who wrote her first book at age 85, has written a series on humor in a retirement home with lots of good stories. Among them, you will find “Out to Pasture, But Not Over the Hill” and “Over What Hill?”
— Sharon Sheridan’s how-to guide on spiritual scrapbooking, “Pages of Faith,” tells how to incorporate faith pages in a regular scrapbook, advises on sharing the faith through parish record history, preparing a gratitude album and outlining spiritual turning points in personal faith journey.
Joining a neighborhood library book club (Life Long Learning’s Aug. 7 study will be “Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons” by Lorna Landvik) allows you to share ideas on a variety of topics.
— And, if you’re looking for a good used book or want to donate gently used books less than 10 years old, check the sale on Tuesday morning, Aug. 7 or Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 8 at Clement Manor.
If you’d like your late fall events listed here, send me an e-mail.
(Expanding Horizons is a regular feature of Mature Lifestyles which looks at trends and activities in the older adult community. Organizations may submit information for possible inclusion in this column by e-mailing Joan King at RiteKing@hotmail.com)
