Wisdom and old age

I've always (well at least since I was a teenager) loved General Conference. But for some reason this time I was even more overcome by how much love and respect I have for these wonderful men (and women) that lead our church. They have so much wisdom and they are so good. They love us and they love others and they set such good examples. I just found myself thinking of those who are critical of the church's leadership being older men and wishing they could really see the good works and the love that these men emulate. They are true disciples of Jesus Christ.

I happened to be reading a book called Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto. It is a novel in which one of the characters is immortal. At one point a priest is talking to the man that is immortal and is saying that in some ways old age is a blessing because it helps you see more clearly. He compares it to cooking a young chicken versus and older rooster and says that there is more flavor in the older rooster. I really liked what he said,

"Growing old is to be set free.... It is a slow and long-simmering process that extracts from you waht you are really made of. But it requires acceptance. You cannot put a flailing chicken into a boiling pot. You must accept the heat and the pain with serenity so that the full flavors of your life may be released. ...
As the body rots, so does the cage that traps us in our worldly concerns. when my legs became too weak to carry my body, I stopped pacing with worry. When my fingers became twisted I stopped pointing blame. When I lost my sight, I stopped seeing illusions. It may be dark in the pot that I am simmering in but I can see more clearly than I have ever seen in my life." (page 138, Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto)

I love this. I don't know that it is always true, but there is much to be learned from the wisdom of our elders. We as a society often don't show respect or honor to those who can often see more clearly and have learned from their past.