Easter – a time of family holidays and reunions, chocolate egg hunts, floral wreath making, and the spicy aroma of hot cross buns wafting through the house. For four days, we celebrate the holiday we’ve all come to look forward to. Yet, in the church calendar, Easter doesn’t end on Monday, and it doesn’t need to for us, either.
In the Christian tradition, Easter itself is concerned with transformation as followers leave behind their old selves to embrace a new life filled with positivity and purpose. During the post-Easter period (which follows Easter Monday) believers devote themselves to reflecting on just how this transformation will play out in their day to day lives. We can all use the post-Easter period as a time for reflecting on transformation in our own lives – something especially important as we grow older.
Ageing brings with it many transformations – our bodies change shape, we become people with less work stress and more opportunity for leisure, we may even feel wiser and more confident. It also brings transformations which can challenge us. It may be the loss of a partner, a health concern, or financial strain. Whether we meet these transformations with fear and despair or embrace them as new limitations offering new opportunities largely dictates how well we continue to age.
The reality is, each of us, old or young, lives with limitations. Young parents are limited in their freedom by the arrival of children, older parents are limited financially as they work to pay off their mortgage, and a senior may be limited by a decrease in energy levels. But these limitations also bring opportunities. The young parent may be limited in their freedom by the responsibility of caring for children, but their joy increases as they share their lives with those same little ones. The older parent may be limited financially as they work long hours to pay off their mortgage, but they find great pleasure in refurbishing their new home, landscaping their section, and building a garden. Likewise, there are opportunities for seniors to embrace new limitations. A decrease in energy levels can mean the older hiker can explore trails and tramping huts closer to home. The senior traveller who once hopped on the plane with their backpack can look forward to a cruise or a tour (they can even do so with the help of a mobility aid, if necessary). The loss of a partner can mean a strengthening of confidence in the remaining partner as they take on new responsibilities and discover different ways to socialise. Even being no longer able to manage a family home can see a couple downsize to a house and property which gives more time for leisure and being together.
Whether it’s by shedding responsibility, stepping back from some forms of activity, moving home, or navigating life alone, new limitations don’t have to mean our lives are more restricted. Rather, as our limitations change, and we transform to accommodate them, we continue to thrive as we grow older. This year, as Easter comes and goes, we invite you to pause for a time of thoughtful reflection. How will you transform your life in response to ‘new’ (not more) limitations so even greater opportunities for an enriching retirement are possible?
Let Post-Easter be a time of gentle decision making, and do let us know where it takes you!