The Beauty of Old Age: A “Higher” Perspective

By Charles G. Hanna

Most people grasp how crucial it is for children to not miss out on their childhood, but we often forget that it is equally crucial to not miss out on all of life, be it adolescence, middle age, old age, single life, married life, parenthood, or any other phase. Every stage is an incredible gift that must not be wasted or compromised in any way.

Whether you believe we live one or many lives, it always starts with birth and infancy, then childhood and so forth. If we are lucky we live a long life, but it is not always possible. In fact, the older we get the lower is the probability of our survival. This means that old age is a very rare occurrence whether we live one life or many. If we live one life we may never see it, or only a few select will. If we live many lives, as I happen to believe that we do, we will see ripe old age in far fewer times than childhood, which is the most abundant life phase. That makes old age very special indeed but sadly most of us are too busy fearing getting old that we miss that most beautiful phase of our lives.

Sure, old age has its disadvantages, but every age has its advantages and disadvantages. That is why it behooves us to not enjoy every one of them for what they are. The only thing we can do to ensure the maximum fulfillment is to follow our Higher Purpose of taking good care of ourselves – body, mind and spirit.

The other day I was watching a movie about a little boy of about 10 years of age who escaped from a very oppressive boarding school where his father had left him. The boy was rejected and abandoned by his father because he was different. The boy was impressionable and needed guidance so he went searching for his estranged grandfather who had heard been yearning to find him. They finally connected, and in this charming scene the grandfather was explaining to the boy the great legacy of their family and the magic of being who they are.

I found myself is awe as I watched the beauty and purity of this old man providing inspiration and guidance to that little boy. I had watched similar scenes many times before and I always identified with the little boy and wondered what it would be like to be empowered like that. This time it was different.

I could not help but think that the beauty of this nurturing was largely dependent on the old man, his grandfather. The kindness and wealth of knowledge and resources of the grandfather were the central issue and most valuable and beautiful gift he could give to that child. I was overcome with the feeling and vision that it is the grandfather who had the power to could make that experience as beautiful as possible for the child, and it made me see the incredible beauty of that phase in our lives.

I find myself realizing the incredible gift of being able to give guidance and inspiration and magical imagination to young budding minds. It is most ideally suited for the latter stages of our lives, if we live long enough and are healthy and happy and rich with spirit and knowledge and resources to give meaningfully to the younger generations. In other words, by becoming the best we can be, we will automatically become most valued givers.

This is the first time I ever saw and felt the real beauty of old age to the point of appreciating for the unique and priceless gift that it is. This is the result of having a “Higher” perspective and living in the moment – the serenity of loving every phase of our lives as it comes. I am not living there but I feel serenity and joy knowing that good things are coming as far as I can see.

Charles G. Hanna is the author of Higher: Awaken to a More Fulfilling Life and Chairman, CEO, and founder of a third-party technology provider. A devoted father of three children, he is involved with a range of charities, including organizations that help with cancer treatment, artists, and displaced and handicapped people and contributes his personal time in various ways to youth shelter homes and animal shelter groups. Connect with Charles on www.charleshannahigher.com and on Twitter, @hanna_higher.