Rolling the stone away
IN Jesus’ time, Jewish tombs were sealed with a heavy stone to close the entrance. This is why that early Easter morning, the women who were on their way to Jesus’ tomb suddenly realized they had a problem: who would help them roll away the heavy stone?
With a nonchalant “bahala na” shrug of the shoulder, they still went ahead. Only to discover that the big stone had been rolled away from the entrance but more strangely, there was no body inside the tomb!
Whether they knew it or not, something significant had occurred. The stone couldn’t stop Jesus. Guards couldn’t stop Jesus. Death couldn’t stop Jesus. The big stone could not prevent the resurrection from happening.
This is one of the messages of Easter Sunday—every person has a big stone that blocks him or her from experiencing the resurrection power of the human spirit. You are the only one who can roll the big stone away to set yourself free and be fulfilled.
Blockages, in some form or another, become a health issue sooner or later as an inevitable consequence of (sigh) aging. Thanks to advances in medicine, most of these blockages can be managed and many of us can still be able to live quality lives far into our 80s and 90s.
After an angiogram years ago, my wife was found to have a 70 percent blockage in one of her major arteries. It’s caused by “atherosclerosis,” which is a term for thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a buildup of deposits of fats, cholesterol and other substances in the inner lining of an artery. She has to take blood-thinning medicines to enable her blood to flow through that partial blockage.
I too have atherosclerotic blood vessels, as shown in my last X-rays. No wonder some parts of my body feel numb at times. Before my operation, I also had blocked urine flow due to a benign prostrate problem.
But there are other serious blockages in a senior’s life that go beyond the expertise of our doctors. Some hearts are clogged with grief, sadness, anger, hatred and frustration. Some have nerves that feel knotted with tension, and many minds are choked by worry, anxiety, fear and insecurity.
“Hindi lumalabas ng bahay. Wala ng gana.” (He stays home most of the time. Not interested in going out.) That’s how a senior friend described our mutual friend in our close circle who seems to have not fully embraced life after retirement. Is he feeling that his best years are behind him and that he’s becoming a burden on his family?
Is he a victim of what they call “self-directed ageism,” which is a self-limiting mindset that can creep into the worldview of seniors without them realizing it? This is when you internalize a negative attitude toward your own age group. It creates a deep sense of self-doubt and an overall negative perception of yourself.
Knowing my friend’s multiple talents, there’s so much yet he can do outside corporate life, where he had previously spent most of his life.
No matter how hard we attempt to coax him out of his cocoon, our efforts can only go so far when someone is resistant to receiving assistance. A posted meme says: “The biggest roadblock is your own self.” I’m beginning to believe this is true.
Sometimes it turns out that the big rock blocking your way isn’t hard rock at all but mushy spiritual and emotional garbage you’ve collected all these years, with nowhere to dump it—just like the infamous “Smokey Mountain” of recent memory.
In my case, I am learning to turn the tables around. I have realized that age can be a way to one-upmanship instead of a stumbling block.
I am not embarrassed by my white hair and my advanced age. On the contrary they can be an asset. My presence exudes the “gravitas” of a seasoned mind, not someone to be ignored as a “has been.” In meetings where I am invited, I don’t speak much but when I raise my hand, I am given the floor ahead of the young people. They defer making decisions without first hearing what I have to say. I dare to speak my mind freely and frankly. People listen because of my age, thinking that I am the voice of experience. And given the opportunity, I dispense my “perceived wisdom” with confidence. It’s reverse ageism.
Instead of letting physical, emotional and mental challenges block your way, use them as building blocks so you can step up and walk over them. In doing so, you will begin to enjoy your life’s final journey and see the beauty of the scenery.
In an interview with seniors in their 70s and 80s, they say that at this late stage, nothing should hold you back anymore because there’s nothing to lose. In their own words, this is “the time to be crazy, overextended, in love, curious and explorative.”
Take your cue from Jesus. When He was about to bring Lazarus back from the dead, He wasn’t intimidated by the big boulder at the entrance. On the contrary, with great confidence and authority, he cried out:
“Roll the stone away.”