Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.”
~ John 14:6-7
In my younger years, this is how I would imagine what it was to be old: with cane in hand, the old man sits in his porch or on a bench in the park watching the passing before him of time, people and events. Alone and quiet, he watches and waits as life unfolds before him.
He feels his emotions but there is no one there to share them with. He is grateful for the gift of life, humbled for the many blessings he has received, joyful for the many happy moments and memories in his life.
He has many inspiring thoughts and precious insights but there is no one there with whom to share them. He has seen enough of life to have learned and lesson or two. He can express these lessons in ways no one else could.
He is alone but not lonely. He is quiet but there is a lot of noise within him. He is alert and watchful but neither is he a participating observer nor an observant participant of what is going on around him.
So he prays, sharing his feelings, thoughts and observations with God. In the solitude and silence, he carries a conversation with his God who has brought him here. But is he praying? Or just another old man talking to himself?
I have become the old man I have always imagined.