'Young@Heart' Review

Watch the Trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/young--heart/32265/main

Growing old will be the biggest challenge of your life. Gawd knows how I'll react when I turn 60 next year. Up until the last six months of his life, Dad was healthy and made it to 95. Mom just turned 90 last month and is doing well enough where we can take her out to a movie & dinner on Saturdays. She uses a cane because she doesn't want a hip replacement and we borrow a wheelchair at the theater if the showing is too far away from the box office.

      Visiting nursing homes and assisted living homes for the last two years has given me an education and fear of the future. But growing old doesn't mean that one's final years will be bedridden. Dylan Thomas said it best about facing the end of your life with " Do not go gentle into that good night..." and that is how the people here prepare for their final days. Not with fear but with a song in their hearts. Better yet, they feel they have a purpose: To keep singing until their time here on earth is up. No sad songs for them, You can read about these remarkable senior citizens here: http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/movies/09youn.html

     We saw the previews with Mom and at first I was hesitant about seeing it and taking Mom with us, not knowing how she would react.  By the time this wonderful movie was finished, we all shed a few tears. You learn to care about these people more than you can imagine. This is probably the feel good movie of the year and the best lesson on aging gracefully. Time to re-read Thomas' poem.

     A few co-workers went to the concert filmed nearby for this movie. When it's released on DVD, we'll have to freeze-frame it to spot them in the audience.