Jude's foolish attempt to push Haleigh out of the garden alarmed the wise old woman because she recognized it as a step toward dependency and irrelevancy. Human beings are complex creatures with a very deep need to care for people, plants and animals. Failure to fill this need creates the suffering we call helplessness. People who find meaning in their daily lives have a built-in protection against helplessness. Anyone who works with frail Elders can tell stories of people who clung to life against the steepest odds because they anticipated a reunion with a loved one or a family milestone like a wedding or graduation.
Meaning creates vitality.
People feel helpless when they no longer believe that they have the power to alter their environment and the terms of their existence. For the human species, caring for others creates meaning and meaning gives us the power to resist the abyss of helplessness. We push Elders toward helplessness every time we confuse treatment and caring. Genuine human caring is a selfless thing. The caregiver seeks to understand and meet the needs of the person or thing being cared for.