Meddlesomeness and Mottos

Our watchword should be “Never stop growing and serving.” Camilla Kimball

So my mother in law has told me for many years that she is still a teenager in a old lady body. This has been a funny thing to me when I was a teenager assuming that her and I were so different. That the years are magic and make you into something totally different. She was wise and smart and knew all the right answers. She was solid and so sure of the choices she had made and was successful in all the ways I hoped to be.

Well now I am older than the age of my sweet mother in law when she first introduced me to this idea. And I have to admit as always she was absolutely right. Age has done so much the opposite of the surety and solidness I thought would magically be gained. I spend many of my prayers just telling the Lord how much I don't know. How much I don't understand. The problems of the word have become more real in my age, I have enough experience to know that the ideals and perfect hopes of my younger days do not always (usually) happen in the way I thought they would and that my expectations often just lead to disappointment and lack of gratitude for what is.

This new experience of having my children need me less and my hands and heart less full as my younger days has led to some soul searching and new purpose seeking. 

A dear friend sent me this amazing talk from Camilla Kimball with this perfect quote to describe my experience "When a mother’s children are reared, or if she is childless, the years after forty or fifty may begin to look bleak. Her real life’s work may seem done, when in reality it has only changed. The active woman cannot hold her hands, so she looks about for something to take up her leisure time. What should it be? Charity? General meddlesomeness? Shall she become a burden or shall she embark upon a new adventure? Happy the woman who has the foresight to see that through forty years of experience, she has matured the ability to commence a grand and useful second half of her life."

This is Camilla's advice to me at this stage of my life "In addition, there are many opportunities for service to others. The world is full of lonely, troubled people who need a helping hand, who need a listening ear or a friendly visit or a comforting letter. Our watchword should be “Never stop growing and serving.”