She Approached With Tears in Her Eyes... Gripping Her Shopping Cart

Last weekend, my wife and I were grocery shopping with my two youngest stepdaughters -- ages 12 and 15. At one point, my wife walked over to the meat counter to have some chicken packaged while I took a stroll down the cereal aisle. When I went back to her, I put my arm around her and gave her a little kiss... something that I like to do no matter where we are. We proceeded with our shopping and about three minutes later an elderly woman approached us in the canned foods aisle.

She told us that she saw me walk up to my wife in the middle of the busy grocery store and give her a kiss. As her eyes filled with tears and her voice began to break, I could tell that she was quite emotional. She told me to never stop showing my wife affection and that I need to tell her daily how much she means to me -- no matter where we are. She expressed how wonderful it was for her to see me walk up to my wife and give her a kiss while shopping.

As tears fell from her cheeks, she told us that her husband had taken his own life just four months earlier and that she misses him greatly. When she saw me give a moment of affection to my wife, it touched her deeply and made her miss him even more. My wife and I didn't know what to say. It was certainly an encounter that you don't anticipate in a busy grocery store on a Saturday afternoon. The elderly woman looked at both of us and said that we need to always cherish what we have. Then, she walked away.

I looked at my wife and we both had tears welling in our eyes. My stepdaughters were quite surprised by what they had just witnessed, and I believe it was valuable for them to experience it. We continued with our shopping and I knew that the encounter with the elderly woman would be a moment that I'd never forget.

The New York Times recently reported on a growing trend among older Americans as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic -- lives stripped of human contact, meaningful activity, purpose and hope that things will get better. Since late February, the stories from nursing homes and assisted living facilities have been appalling: people dying of neglect; people starving to death; defeated people lying in bed or staring out windows with no hope of reprieve; people with dementia fighting restrictions they cannot understand and being sedated for behavioral issues, sometimes to the point of becoming bed bound and unable to eat. Assisted living facilities are reporting that more residents have symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Last year, National Public Radio reported that men who are 65 and older face the highest risk of suicide, while adults 85 and older (regardless of gender) are the second most likely age group to die from suicide. Research has found that one out of four senior citizens that attempt suicide dies.

I am praying for the woman that my family and I encountered in the grocery store last weekend. She is truly grieving and we all need to be aware of the emotional, mental and physical issues that senior citizens face.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

Would You Approach Life Differently If You Knew When You Would Die?

Someday, you will die. Wow... now there's a catchy first line of a blog post to entice you to read on! And yes, the sarcasm is intended. None of us like to talk about death, particularly our own future death. It's not a comfortable topic for most people. However, the fact is that someday you will indeed die and before that event happens there will be people you have known who will die. Sadly, some people younger than you will die before you do, and you may be surprised later in life to find that you've outlived many people that you thought would live longer than you. No, death is not a comfortable topic. It's not something that you casually discuss around your job's water cooler or bring up as dinner conversation. Generally speaking, we tend to stay away from the topic of death until an event occurs which brings death to the forefront.

The title to this writing is a question: Would you approach life differently if you knew when you would die? I've thought about that question and can tell you that I honestly don't think I would alter my current life if I knew the precise date of when I would die. I plan to continue working my job, paying my mortgage, being the best husband I can be to Kelley, and being a supportive Dad and Stepdad to my children. I do certain things every day that I would continue to do even if I knew when my death would arrive. I hold Kelley's hand each day; I tell those close to me that I love them; I enjoy moments of watching those I care for participate in the things that they enjoy; and, I attend church weekly with my family. No, I don't think I would approach my life any differently than I currently am if I knew when my final day would be.

I recently punched some personal information into a longevity calculator to estimate my life expectancy. Why? Just curious I guess. Based on the results, I should live to 93 years of age -- which is fairly consistent with my family's background. I'm 54 years of age now and the calculation told me that I have a 75% chance of living until at least 84 years of age -- which is 8 years greater than most. So, barring being hit by a car or some other unexpected event, I should live another 30 to 38 years. I'm hoping that's the case because I'll be able to see my children in their 50's! My parents are in their mid-80's and are getting to see their children's lives as I and my siblings are in our 50's and 60's. I hope to experience the same.

By the way, in my heart I'm aiming for 100. If George Burns could do it, why can't I? And I don't even smoke a cigar! Don't know who George Burns is? Then it's quite likely that I'm older than you!

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past