At the end of life, epiphanies are borne, both regrets and affirmations of the right course. As our elders speak we should listen, as most of these discoveries are universal and yet, we seem to bypass this amazing information source. We will poll others endlessly for referrals for movies and restaurants but the lessons of the greatest value are that of life's lessons. When we speak to the family matriarch it is to gain access to a favorite family recipe for chocolate chip cookies. We should be asking how shall we live? What should we seek? Indeed, what mistakes may I avoid from data collected from your long tenure? The information that we gain from these sagacious elders can change the course of our lives as we are benefactors of their living.

Dan Donmyer, 68 years old, wished he had not looked forward to retirement as the restful gift of a hard life lived but rather, enjoyed living more in the moment and not storing his happiness for later use. When he opened the box of happiness at age 65 the box was empty: poor health had decayed the box's content. But many elders endow our directions with stories of a life well lived with strong affirmations, a course that led them to happiness. The voice of our futures calls to us and begs our attention. Let's listen.