Sunday, December 23, 2007

Elders in Peru and the Meaning of Life

I just got back from a month in Peru, travelling in both city and country. Yes,Machu Picchu and Cusco are absolutely as stunning as the pictures.

In the small villages and jungle, I watched as older people worked the fields, carried huge wicker baskets to the market, and took care of young children. Not that it strucke me as easy--it didn't. Life seemed harder there than what most of us have to come up against.

But what did strike me was those older people had a job, a meaning, a place in life. They were contributing in a necessary way. They were not marginalized or lost. I know, I only saw what I saw, and did not investigate, but still it was a reminder of something that we, in Canada, need to work on and work towards--making sure that older people have a place in life and a meaning that is intrinisic to their lives.

Because even with great health-- it seems to me that the real question is not "what is the meaning of life," but "what is life without meaning?"

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