I was impressed when I heard that Supreme Court Justice Stevens celebrated his 89th birthday on April 20. Apparently he still enjoys the challenge of the cases that are brought before the court. I have long believed that when we stretch our minds by learning or doing new things we continue feeling alive and curious. There must be something about the work that our Justices engage in that keeps them engaged way past the traditional retirement time. They also have the good fortune of having jobs with no end deadline.
What we can learn from Justice Stevens is that we all need to continue to find something to do that we can be passionate about. My mother, late in her eighties, began making original afghans for her great grandchildren. This work gave her pleasure, stretched her mind, and best of all, she said, she felt useful. We all have the capacity to keep growing. It is up to us if we take advantage of this opportunity as we age.
