I would like to share how the life testimony of one person, Sara Maria Blandot, helped me to look at my last years on earth in a different way. To do so, I will rely on the comments she made in an interview shortly before she passed away.
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it is common to hear the longing for retirement, that time when one expects life to reward years of work with rest and leisure. However, the story of Sara Maria, a Chilean Opus Dei supernumerary with a priest son, is very different.
A retirement for others
Although her life was very fruitful, I would now like to talk only about her last years. In her 80s, Sara Maria was still working as a family counselor for a bank. With a fixed schedule, she fielded calls from employees seeking guidance for their families. Her work over the phone fascinated her, because "you help by lending an ear to someone you would be unlikely to meet in person but that can turn into a deep friendship."in his own words.
She believed that growing older involves fulfilling such rich and important life stages as the adolescencemarriage or motherhood. "This is the final stage of life, when you know why you lived and where you are going, and you see that you have very little left to do."He affirmed, stressing the importance of living this stage well, with happiness and in the company of God.
Instead of seeking only the enjoyment of time for oneself, he demonstrated the importance of investing time in others, prudently adjusting forces with the experience accumulated over the years.
She found reading, music and painting to be companionable pastimes. In addition, she valued the company of young people, in contrast to the tendency of some older people to focus on their ailments and loneliness.
Sara Maria also taught that aches and pains can become an opportunity for prayer and offering. "It is the prayer of the senses of the body that can no longer do or go out somewhere, teach a class or run. Today the body prevents me from moving easily but with prayer I go far."he confessed.
A close grandmother
In addition to her professional work, Sara María was a grandmother 2.0, She was present and committed to her family, which she considered the domestic Church. She recognized the importance of transmitting the faith through experiences, meetings, traditions and family celebrations. Helping a grandchild in his studies, listening to him, advising him and showing him by example the importance of prayer and communion were part of her mission.
As grandmother of continuous serviceSara Maria was interested in maintaining friendships with each of her 14 grandchildren, adapting to new technologies such as cell phones and e-mail. Her secret was her will: "no human relationship is improvised; it is a constant work to maintain contact with each grandchild. It is vital to know where they are, give them awayI have been able to listen to their joys and worries. All this to communicate to them my experiences and the value of faith"..
Sara Maria saw herself as someone her grandchildren could turn to, not only for life advice, but also for academic matters. "Now I'm reading a book on anthropology to explain to one of them about this subject he is struggling with and is taking in college."he commented.
In his last years, he confronted the disease by applying his own words: the disease as a prayer of the body that allows to reach more parts.
I can say that Sara Maria Blandot's legacy helped me find the true meaning of retirement and the importance of living each stage with purpose and joy.
