A Wise Elder • A Jalopy by Sr. Mary Reuter, OSB
A friend, as senior citizen, cited from a list of strategies to keep her well and functioning: compression socks, hearing aids, daily meds for various maladies, frequent dental procedures, X-rays and other tests, frequent weight checks, help to climb stairs.
She went on to say she often felt like an old car—partly in humor, partly in regret for the changes she was experiencing. Duct tape holds the bumper to the car, a headlight doesn’t work, one window won’t respond to the “up” button, the battery is running low, plastic covers the back window, the brakes need to be carefully monitored—all first aid maneuvers to keep the clunker going. Hope is challenged. In the back of her mind fear lurks: How long will the jalopy be available? What will it need to keep going and how much will it cost? What will she do when the vehicle stops running?
While there are parallels between the image of a jalopy and an elderly person, there are significant differences. The vehicle can be dying. In contrast an elder can signal signs of life. For example, questioning her self-esteem can lead her to claim worth beyond her physical appearance, achievements and what she has and can accumulate. She also can learn to relish quiet rather than frenetic action and noise. As she walks through life with its losses, grief, loneliness and vulnerability, she can learn to entrust herself to God and the people around her. Daily invitations to exercise patience pester her. Gratitude for people and experiences in her history—her sacred history—can become an undercurrent of each day. Death beckons and she can face both her fears and her joyful expectations as she comes to know she will be transformed into a new life she can’t imagine.
Personally, current positive images of aging boost my hope and help me become a more deeply spiritual and wisdom-centered woman. However, as good as some aspects of aging are, there are days when I’m a jalopy chugging along, wondering if I’ll arrive at my destination. At such times, I cling to hope.
Reprinted with permission by Sr. Mary Reuter, OSB, Saint Scholastica Convent, 1845 20th Ave. SE, Saint Cloud, MN 56304 https://sbm.osb.org Original blog post from 9/9/25 appears here: https://sbm.osb.org/2025/09/09/a-wise-elder-a-jalopy/