Quartet.

 

I’m not saying it’s a great film. I’m not saying it’s a big film. But I enjoyed the human scale of this story about a retirement home in England, composed entirely of former singers and musicians. It’s a story about what it means to grow older in life, and particularly, what it means to go through the aging process with grace, dignity and a good bit of humor.

I see so many different models of aging in the church. Some are bitter and angry. Others withdrawn and sullen. Still others approach each day with zest and curiosity. For some, growing old means waiting around for the inevitability of death. But others continue to seize the day with joy and kindness and service to others.

The great psychologist, Carl Jung, once remarked that we cannot live the “second half of life” with the same agenda as the “first half of life.” In other words, changing our personal / spiritual / psychological agenda seems to be a key to growing older.

Take a Breath today, regardless of your age, and ask yourself: Is there some part of your agenda that you need to change? The movie Quartet made me think about life a little differently. I recommend it to you. But even if you don’t think it’s a great movie, you can at least enjoy being with Maggie Smith for a couple of hours. That’s aways worth the price of admission.