Dr. Rich Bimler of Lutheran Life Communities in Arlington Heights, Illinois, shares some bumper stickers for older adults.
“Wave if you love my driving!”
“My other car is a walker!”
“I may be slow but I’m ahead of you!”
“How’s my driving? Call 1-800- WHO CARES?”
“Follow me; I’m on my way to BINGO!”
Humor about aging carries concerns about aging. Rev. Walt Schoedel of Lutheran Senior Services writes, “While visiting folks who are homebound or living in a nursing care center, I frequently hear them say, ‘Thanks for coming. I haven’t had a visitor in a long time.’ That’s a hard thing to hear. Administrators of care centers tell me that 60% of their residents have no visitors at all.” (“Engaging the Aging,” Summer 2012)
Schoedel quotes Keith Frndak of Concordia Lutheran Ministries: “You don’t need to study visiting; you need to do visiting. Visit. Visit, for the sake of respecting and honoring our older brothers and sisters in Christ. Visit – it’s the gift that gives back.”
“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.” (Leviticus 19:32)
Humor conveys truth. An aged woman told her children that she wanted to be cremated and have her ashes scattered on the Wal-Mart parking lot. “Why?” “That’s the only way I know that you’ll visit me.”
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