O Great Ones

On several trips to Africa in the 1970s and 80s, I came to understand and appreciate how the people of Tanzania honored and revered the elderly in their society. When a man reached an age that we would call Senior Citizen, he would be given an honorary title of "Mse" (pronounced "Umzay"). This is a title which cannot readily be translated into English in one word, for it means something like "O Great One", or "O Most Honored One", or "O Wise One". It is truly a title of distinction and reverence.

Perhaps this was so noticeable to me because it is something which has disintegrated in our own culture and society. With our cult of youth, we view the elderly in our midst as a burden, if not a down right disposable commodity. My eight years experience working as a nursing home administrator underscored this reality only too clearly. Many people were delivered to the care of our facility only to then be forgotten by their families. It was sad.

For this reason, it is such a gift for My Love and me to be back here in Iowa where we can be close to our parents. We have the opportunity to be in contact with them on a regular basis and to be of assistance to them when they need it.

In fact, I am so very proud of My Love and the care that she is providing for her parents. Not a day goes by that she isn't in touch with them. Most days she spends several hours with them, cleaning for them, shopping for groceries, taking them to doctor's appointments, taking them on outings, playing games with them. Some days she is with them all day doing whatever needs to be done to make it possible for them to stay in their own home comfortably.

She would say that this is no big deal, that it is a gift for her to be able to be for them at this time in their life after all they have done for her in previous years. But that is just the point: it is a big deal because it is not being done today in our society by younger generations. Most of our society would be more in tune with the Eskimo tradition of putting the elderly on an ice floe and letting them float away until they are frozen to death or eaten by polar bears.

Yet, here we are because of God's hand and direction in bringing us back home. Each day gives us more reason for gratitude. As I've said in an earlier blog, it's all about family!