Love the Daily Bread every day, but today's is made to order, with my recently having reached True Geezer Status..:))
"One of their findings is that among the older group of "geezers," every person who was able to continue to play a leadership role retained the qualities of curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, warmth, and energy. Instead of being defeated by time and age, they were "open, willing to take risks, hungry for knowledge and experience, courageous, eager to see what the new day brings."
That's a great attitude to have, but how can a Christian get it and keep it? The Bible says that our strength comes from a trusting relationship with God: "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). "
That is so true, growing up with clear guidance from our parents - they were parents, not our 'buddies,' and (usually) reasonable limits were set for us - etc.
Without the benefit of television and computers, our childhood was full of "work hard - play hard" - the latter mostly outdoors, enacting Cowboys and Indians - WWII - jungle play aka Tarzan and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.
(I played Sheena admirably in a neighborhood full of boys, and dug the best foxholes..:))
Most of us had very few luxuries in those years right after The Great Depression, but never felt "deprived" - cheerfully did without during wartime - never equated/confused "gifts" with "love," but cherished family warmth - read a lot - went to movies.
Advantages?
We regarded opportunities as something you created - not something "due you."
Most of us, I suppose, passed this on to our own children, and I have to point out my sons as prime examples.
Most of their childhoods were spent as military brats, hauled around from South Carolina and Virginia to Rochester, New York - to Florida for 4 years - then at 6 and 7, to South Dakota, Alaska, South Carolina and back to Florida in their teens.
Home, I instilled in them, was where God sends you - friends include those waiting for you at the next 'assignment' - plus the ones you gathered on the way in life.
The goal was to look forward to the Next Step - Stop - Challenge - etc.
Never gathering real material 'wealth' in childhood, they focused on values rather than 'things' and achieved their own.
Without a dime from us, both of them worked their way through college, and Steve went on to become a Physician Assistant, going to the School of Medicine at the University of Florida - later obtained his Master's Degree, and now is officially a Doctoral Candidate, working on his approved dissertaion.
Both are staunch and active Christians, good neighbors, and always quietly helping others.
I truly think parents today have a more difficult time with the glut of things to eat and wear and with which to play, and 'buy,' rather than the focus on preparing yourself to learn and earn, and thus obtain what you desire - by yourself.
The key always is to learn how to trust/depend upon/yield to/lean upon the Lord, rather than self...
God bless you and your wonderful family fellow geezer. I will pray for good things for all of you.