About Ageing, Cooking and Going to Heaven

A few months ago, I was playing with AI and my photos. I found two photos of myself taken in the same place, in a very similar pose, about five years apart. I then asked AI to create an image of me wearing the same clothes and sitting in the same place as a 100-year-old woman.

The image created by AI was interesting. I showed it to the Sisters I live with. Some of them said that the person did not look like me at all. Others said that it was possible that I could look like this when I get older. It was an interesting and fun experience. But even more interesting was the reflection it sparked about my life—past, present, and the future to come.

Ageing is a process, a journey. If you are feeling and experiencing it, it means that you are fortunate to live longer than people who died young. So, for those of us who are still around, it is an opportunity to be grateful and to use the gift we have as intended by its Giver—God.

What do I think of when I think about ageing?

I know that I do not see things the same way I did many years ago. There are things around me that have changed, and I have changed the way I see the reality around me. Sometimes this brings a sense of achievement; sometimes it brings disappointment that things did not turn out the way I had hoped.

As I age, my abilities change. Although I still learn new skills, I need to accept the fact that I cannot do as many things as I did when I was in my twenties or thirties because my energy levels have changed. That is right—as we age, we change.

Change is the only constant in life, and it affects each one of us. It can be small and insignificant or quite noticeable. But despite its often-negative image, ageing is a process of gaining a fuller understanding of ourselves and others. It creates an opportunity to live with a grateful and peaceful heart, seeing more of the “bigger picture” in life.

Gratefulness is like… cooking

Gratefulness does not come automatically. We need to practise it. It is like cooking or baking, which is one of my favourite activities. A good dish needs practice. I remember the time when I wanted to make bread. It did not come to me right away. I had to make many loaves before I made the “right one”. I had to try many recipes before I settled on one and then tried some others. It required effort and many attempts before I could say: “I can make crunchy, yummy bread.” And even then, there were times when I failed and needed to throw the bread in the bin.

Gratitude needs practice, too. It might be as simple as following a pattern, for example, making your own list of things to be grateful for before going to sleep at a certain time of the day or on a certain day of the week. It is not happiness that makes us grateful; it is gratefulness that makes us happy. Every day of our lives gives us reasons to be grateful, and gratitude is definitely a key to a content and peaceful heart.

Heaven is the destination

Ageing is a process, but it is not the end. It is only part of the journey. We do not know what tomorrow will bring. We have very little control over our lives and the time we spend here on earth. Very often, for most of our lives, we struggle with many challenges and focus on what does not work instead of recognising the true gifts and the hope we are looking for.

Despite not knowing what life “on the other side” is like, our faith encourages us to trust God, who leads us to unity with Him, where we will be forever young, happy, and filled with joy that never ends.

However, to get there, we need to intentionally choose joy, prioritise our physical, mental and spiritual health, and continue to practise gratitude. We need to say thank you to God, who gives us everything that is best for us.

So, whether we are young or old, learning a new skill or letting go of something we can no longer do, we are all on the same journey. Ageing invites us to grow in wisdom, gratitude and trust. Like baking bread, it takes time, patience and practice. And as we continue the journey, we can look ahead with hope, knowing that our final destination is not simply growing older, but growing closer to God, who waits for us with love.