Not Everyone Has The Chance To Grow Old

No: 50-12

August 25 ,2022

Sun is up in it's scorching heat and who would have thought that there was a recent storm that made classes suspended yesterday . As if nothing happens and Mr. Sun is alive and shining brightly again. Doing his task everyday , rise and set and give light continuosly for the whole world to see. Never gets tired of being a Sun.

An immortal Sun that exists around 4.6 billion years to date and could last according to experts for another 7 billion years or more. Adding years but not growing old huh? Would you want to live long like the sun? Or be an immortal like vampires perhaps?

According to Guinness World Records -The oldest living human on record who died in 1997 at the age of 122 is Jeanne Calment of France. Researchers stated that humans can live 120-150 years maximum. Beyond that and our body will have a complete loss of it's resilience to combat illness and may not recover from injuries anymore.

Many are scared to grow old. Fear of growing old coz somehow it connotes death. Anxiety of being left alone , or fear of being incapable or having no resources to sustain their needs when they grow old. Whose going to take care of them and many more anxieties that comes with growing old.

Here in the Philippines , we have strong family ties and it's common in every household to live with our elders. We give importance and valued their presence at home. I grew up with my grandparents and they have great influence on my personality and outlook in life. From teaching us household chores in detail , planning meals for the whole week , cooking , washing clothes upto how to maintain a soft and silky hair , it was all influenced by my granny.

Taking care of them was not hard for us . It was fun actually . Though there are times that my grandmother was a bit strict but it was all for our good. Our food was always freshly cook but budgeting was really hard coz one viand was not enough , lol! If there's a stew or veggies there must be something fried.

Many are afraid of it yet some are not lucky to reach that age. My Mom dies at the age of 51 , too young for us to take care of coz she's capable of everything before she was diagnosed with cancer that eventually lead to death. We were not able to see her getting old. A reward we realized later in life coz we don't have to worry about her in her late years. Not that we don't want to take care of her but she gave us the full privileged of focusing in our own respective families upon her early death. That's how mom's are right? My mom really does'nt want to be a burden to us.

"It's very simple. As you grow , you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you're going to die, it's also the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it." - Mitch Albom

Me? I want to reach old age. I want to see the world how it would change as i grow old. I want to witness my kids to have their own families. I want to know and learn more . I want to see changes on my face , how i would look if i turn 50,60 or 70. I want to witness the future of BCH , i want to spend my life with my friends enjoying a 20% discount in every establishments.

I am not afraid to grow old but i am afraid to lose my memory. My memory that will keep me company if no one else stay to take care of me. I don't want to be an immortal , just want to live long enough as human.

I don't want to defy aging , just want to grow old gracefully.

Thank you.

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