家有一老，如有… AN ELDERLY AT HOME IS JUST LIKE A ...

「家有一老，如有…」
此文章首先刋登在【天主教屯世主堂贖第338期堂區通訊（2015.4）】

常言道：「家有一老，如有一寶。」在今天這個商業化的香港社會，說得過嗎？
的確，在古代，長者承傳生活的知識和智慧給後代，他們確實是寶。但在資訊爆炸的今天，恐怕長者們已沒有能力趕上，不但成了家中的負擔，更有可能被社會淘汰。生活在教友家庭中的長者能倖免嗎？
讓我和大家一起細數長者在他們的晚年如何成為家庭的祝福。

1. 他們肢體退化，行動開始緩慢
   香港人的生活步伐素來急促，很多時候我們同時兼顧著幾組活動：在同一部電腦上網，做文書處理、試算表；聽著背景音樂，用免提電話與客戶爭取合約條款；與此同時正與同事開會……長者們正好拖慢我們，讓我們能細味天主在生活中賜予我們的恩寵。 小心，當您推著輪椅時，記著坐在輪椅上的長者。她是一位天使，叫您放慢腳步，細心欣賞身邊事物的天使。請不要衝鋒陷陣地推輪椅。
2. 他們記憶衰退，不時重覆煩瑣
   長者們因為記憶衰退，時常忘記了不久前曾說過，曾做過的事，但對前半生的「豐功偉績」，會不斷覆述，令我們不勝其煩。其實，她們在努力地保留美好的記憶，甚至改寫過去不光彩的歷史。
   長者們真是天主賜給我們學習寛恕、修和的天使。從今天起與人多做修和寬恕罷，不要保留忿恨的記憶，以免將來把自己囚禁在這些怨恨的記憶中受苦。學習長者們「選擇性地記憶」罷，祗記著別人的恩惠，忘記別人的無禮和冒犯。
   長者們又是天主派來操練我們耐性的天使。這裡不再贅述。
3. 家中的長者，是我們未來的寫照
   雖然我們沒有水晶球預見未來，但我們的基因，一半來自父親，一半來自母親。他們就是天主賜給我們預示未來的天使。他們是我們未來健康上和脾氣上的寫照。雖然說「有其父必有其子」，但男人一半的基因亦來自母親。可能相貎上似父親，但脾氣上亦有母親的影子。所以，家中的長者正在運用他們的晚年，展示著家主的未來。長者安享晚年固然是好，若他們有甚麼不是之處，你應自我檢討，趁尚有時間，想辦法預防這些事情，將來發生在你自己身上。父母年事已高，已無法改變。但你尚年青可改，又有不同的基因組合，又有時間在手上，必定可以為自己的將來創造有利的條件。

所以我說：「家有一老，如有一天使。」
天主保祐

圖片下載自http://blog.artron.net/space-488757-do-album-picid-4643904-goto-up.html

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AN ELDERLY AT HOME IS JUST LIKE A ...
As a Chinese idiom goes, “An elderly at home is just like possessing a jewel.” In a highly commercialized city like Hong Kong, can the idiom be true?
Indeed, in ancient times, the elderly handed on the knowledge and wisdom of daily life to the posterity. They were truly jewels. However, in this age of information explosion, I am afraid the elderly can hardly catch up. Not only do they become a burden at home, they would also become obsolete in the society. Can the elderly in a Catholic family be exempted? Let me number how the elderly are blessings in the family even in their mature age.

1. Their limbs deteriorate. Their motions begin to slow down.
   It is well known that the living paces of Hong Kong people are extremely fast. Many times, we multitask: on the same computer we surf the net, do word-processing, calculate a spreadsheet; listen to background music, using a hand-free mobile to negotiate a better deal with clients while briefing your colleagues ... It is just right for the elderly to slow us down, allowing us to appreciate the grace which God bestows on us in our daily life.Beware, when you wheelchair, remember the elderly who is sitting on it. She is an angel who tells you to appreciate the good things around you. Don’t charge!
2. Their memories fail, repeating minor details all the time.
   The memory of the elderly is fading. Often, they forget what they have said or done a moment before. However, they can remember their “past glories” and repeatedly tell you, making you fed-up. In fact, they are trying to retain their beautiful memories and even rewrite their shadowy history in the past.
   The elderly are truly godsend angels to help us learn forgiveness and reconciliation. Starting from today, forgive and reconcile. Don’t keep unpleasant memories to haunt and torture you when you are imprisoned in resentful memories in your old age. Learn from the elderly to remember selectively. Remember the good things people done you and forget their arrogance and abrasiveness.The elderly are also godsend angels to teach us patience. There is no need for me to elaborate here.
3. The elderly is your future image.
   Although we do not have a crystal ball to see our future, we have genes of which half come from our fathers and the other half our mothers. Our parents are godsend angels to foretell our future. They show us our health and temper in the future. Though we say “like father like son”, half of our genes came from our mothers. We may look like our fathers, but our temper and characters may mirror our mothers. Therefore, the elderly are making use of their final years to show the housemasters their future. It is a blessing for the elderly to lead a peaceful life at their full age. Even if they are troublesome, we should scrutinize ourselves, take measures to prevent these troubles from happening in your future while there is still time. Your parents are already too old to change but you are still young. You have a different combination of genes and time is on your side. You can surely create advantageous conditions for your future.

That’s why I say, “An elderly at home is like an angel in your bedroom.”