Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your mighty acts to all who are to come.
- Psalm 71:18
Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
who minister by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.
- Psalm 134:1-3
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
- Romans 12:2
The New Boilerplate
My wife filled a small book with “Angel” on the cover. It was hidden with a box of crafting things. On 18 July 2025, I thought I had posted the last of these. But this little angel book held a prayer, followed by 71 quotes. So, the “with a little help” series is back in business for a while. And it will be fun for me. She did not attribute any of the quotes. The first quote was from James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the USA. The next one was disputed, with some thinking it originated with Teddy Roosevelt and others saying Fred Astaire. After the prayer, these might be on the lighter side.
Her quote
“There are three classes of elderly women: first that dear old soul; second that old woman; third, that old witch.”
- William James
The Discussion
William James (1842-1910) was an American Philosopher and Psychologist. He has been called the father of American Psychology. The quote above was in a letter to his wife.
A little explanation may be necessary. Some ladies might not like being called a “witch.” Some might not like being called an old woman.
The dear old soul is that woman who is mostly cheerful, smiling, showing love for others. She has no enemies. Everybody loves her.
The old woman is often the woman no one sees. She gets things done. She is dependable, but she is a bit invisible.
The old witch has nothing to do with witchcraft. She might be brash. She might be obnoxious, but regardless she refuses to knuckle under and follow the status quo.
Which one are you? Ummm. You may not want to answer that.
My wife was definitely the dear old soul. She never wanted anyone to be burdened by her woes. She rarely told the doctor where the pain was. I had to do that. But at home, behind closed doors… My wife was all three. She felt it her duty to do the unseen things, maybe because she was raised in a home with Asian ideas and being the eldest daughter. She was taught to be the servant to everyone else: her parents and her eight siblings. But she had that independent streak. She went against the grain at times.
But when she was hurting, she still put on the brave smiling face while fixing a meal. Sometimes, I did not know how bad she was hurting until she took her plate to the bedroom. The kitchen table was her chance to have a conversation, her favorite thing to do. So, taking her plate to the bedroom meant she was not feeling well at all. Yet, she would never complain.
No, I will have to correct that last statement. One time, she was moaning while stirring what she had in the pot. I got up. I told her to sit down, and I would do the stirring. All she had to do was tell me what to do next.
She turned in anger and shook the spoon at me, “No, I have to prepare a meal for my husband!”
I sat back down and endured hearing her moan.
I think she knew that it was the last time she would ever fix a meal for me. And I have no idea what the meal was.
Whether male or female. I think we all are each of those at times. In a way, God wants us to be both of the first two. We should shine forth the Love, Joy and Hope that is Christ within us. That old soul that everyone sees as being someone you want to be around. But at times, God wants us to serve others and become less. The glory should go to God, not “Hey, look at me being a servant.” And if the breaking from the status quo is doing something silly that puts a smile on someone’s face, I think God likes that too.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory
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