ALL OF THE UNHAPPINESS OF MAN STEMS FROM ONE THING ONLY: THAT HE IS INCAPABLE OF STAYING QUIETLY ALONE IN HIS ROOM. Blaise Pascal.

One of the most common descriptions of old age is that it is a stage lived in unwanted loneliness and isolation. So much so that geriatric experts advise older adults not to shut themselves in their homes or stop connecting with people their own age. This is why, in activity centers for older adults, there are plenty of groups where a kind of daily recreation takes place. Not long ago, a psychologist invited me to join one of these groups that she runs once a week. What really amazed me was that the activities were far from therapeutic; they were more like guessing games designed to entertain the participants. I found it hard to understand what the purpose of that activity could be for adults whose lives had surely been normally active. Old age isn’t always synonymous of a lack of understanding; and those people who age with their minds intact should be trained to spend their final days in a more meaningful way. Such a training should be based on showing to them how, in their last years, the joy of being at home in solitude is essential to understand the meaning of their lives. Living in a clean, organized, and welcoming home makes us want to turn our later years into an important stage of life. At the same time, solitude gives us the space to relive in detail our journey in this world, to celebrate our successes and regret our mistakes. Only in the quiet of a protective home can we truly connect with what exists in our depth personal psychology. Then, with all of this in hand, when we go out into the world, we will do so from a place of strength and self-respect.