Retiring to Active Service

"Relax, refresh, recharge, renew, revive, and rediscover yourself!" A banana plant bears fruit only in the final stage of its growth. A seed has to decay for a new sprout to emerge. 'Unless a grain of wheat falls and dies, it remains single'. This is a law of nature that holds good for human life as well. The best fruits of life in this world are always reserved for the final years of one's life. Hence, one can also say: 'the best years of my life are still ahead of me'. Seen from this perspective, 'retired life' can become the best years of one's life. The children are grown up and settled, and one's family responsibilities are more or less fulfilled. 60 years is the normal age of 'retirement' in India. This is in fact the best period of one's life. One can have many more years of active life ahead. Also, at the age of 60 one is expected to be emotionally mature, more peaceful, and more or less free from the passions of body and mind. The yearnings for success, wealth, luxury and pleasures might be more or less satisfied. Hence, this is the right time for one to reorient one's life towards higher and greater goals. In fact, 'retired life' can be more joyful and fruitful, and also re warding, than one's 'working life' if one uses it properly. The 'Senior Citizens' who are retired have years of experience behind them. A good number of them are well qualified and are of good health. Most of them are also economically self-sufficient. However, it can be seen that many of them today are feeling lonely and unwanted. Recently a 'day home' (pakal veedu) for Senior Citizens was inaugurated in Ernakulam. The hall was filled with Senior Citizens wanting to keep their retired life occupied with something meaningful! Both the Church and the State have nothing much to offer to such Senior Citizens today except some 'concessions' which is the last thing they need. What they really require are opportunities and platforms to be useful and fruitful.