All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:15-18

This week I’m going to let my mum take front and center stage for “Photo Friday.” Yesterday we celebrated her 91st birthday and – according to the math – my parents are now 185 years old between them!

We had a quiet tea-party on the porch at dad’s assisted living, then dinner at Maul-Hall later on. Dad gave her some beautiful flowers, and he was also very happy to help tuck into her pie!

Both my parents are now record-setting in their family trees. My grandparents on my dad’s side lived into their 80’s, and my mum’s folks both passed away in their mid 70’s. Life expectancy, however, is little more than a statistical model; the tables may have read “59” for dad in 1928 and “63” for mum in 1931, but my parents are real people, and it looks like we’ll be checking off birthdays – one at a time – at least so long as there is key-lime pie to put some candles in!

So mum is enjoying cards and well-wishes from people around the globe.

Overall it was a good day. Bittersweet because they are not together, but full of love and care. “Getting old,” someone once said, “is not for the faint of heart.” But that’s not quite right, because their hearts are faint, and while their faith is strong their spirits are increasingly tired.

So I really appreciate Naomi’s card; it’s The 21-nun salute, and you can see it in one of the pictures: “Well done,” the message seems to be saying, “all we can do is salute you.“

Praying peace to all who struggle with aging – DEREK