We live in a disposable society. We throw everything away instead of fix it. This could be a source of our unhappiness. There is much satisfaction to be gotten from the effort it takes to fix something. Just like a renovation of an old house is beautiful, so might be the resurrection of an old relationship or tired marriage. Our society puts so much value on youth and newness. This is never more evident then our treatment of our senior citizens. You never see celebrities trying to look older do you? If we try to revitalize the old (Goodwill does this), we might find great bounty from the fruits of our labor.
Studies show that in general Americans are not dying the way they would like to. According to "Means to a Better End: A Report on Dying in America" 70% of the elderly wish to die at home. The reality is very different. In truth, 50% die in hospitals, and 20-25% die in nursing homes. Only 24.9% really get to die at home. What are we so afraid of?
Imagine how much money we would save as a society if we let our elders die at home. Imagine what satisfaction we might get from helping others fulfill their wish of dying at home. Could we not find some sort of happiness in knowing we did the best we could for someone? I think we could.
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