January 30, 2009
The Second Half
Found in process
BY DEACON JIM AND ANN CAVERA
It happened again last week. A friend asked us to pass along a bit of information to some other people. We agreed only to realize forty-eight hours later we had never given the request a second thought. If this was the only time something slipped our mind, we would just forget about it. Instead, we groan and think, “Not again!” What can we do about these little memory lapses that come more frequently with age? We called and apologized to our friend, who happens to be a physician. She said to drink more water because one study has shown that “elderly people” have more difficulty remembering things when they don’t drink enough water.
A news item we saw yesterday provided another piece of the puzzle. Medical science now thinks losing weight can have a positive effect on memory. Since losing weight is supposed to have a positive effect on everything else, we’re not too surprised weight loss may sharpen memory. We were thinking about drinking more water and losing weight this morning when we realized how closely spiritual and physical health are connected. Getting rid of unwanted spiritual baggage and drinking more water in the form of prayer can also lead to a leaner, stronger faith life.
In this Sunday’s readings (Mark 1: 21-28) we find Jesus teaching in the synagogue. A man with an unclean spirit cries out, fearful that his encounter with Jesus will end in his destruction. In a way, he is right. The loss of an old way of life can feel like personal destruction. We can imagine the newer, better lifestyle but we can’t actually have it unless we are first able to let go of comfortable, but harmful patterns.
Sometimes it feels as though where weight loss is concerned, most of us are like Sisyphus from Greek mythology. Sisyphus was eternally condemned to roll a huge boulder to the top of a hill. Every time he reached his goal, the boulder rolled back down the hill and he had to start all over again. It has now been four weeks since many of us began our annual struggle to physically shape up. We have a long way to go, but we do have hope because both of us ended 2008 in a little better shape than we started. Hopefully, we can keep inching our way up that same hill this year. Any new physical or spiritual way of life requires renewing our commitment on a daily basis.
For many of us, trying to keep physical and spiritual health in balance is a never-ending battle with ourselves. For those of us who have, once again, begun rolling a familiar boulder up a hill, we must encourage each other not to give up. Both spiritually and physically, drink more water! Let go of old habits that clutter life with unwanted baggage. The result might mean we are better able to remember why we’re here in the first place.
Deacon Jim and Ann Cavera are former residents of Evansville; their award-winning column is a regular feature of the Message. Contact them at www.catholicseniorspirit.com.