Ask people what they want out of life. As we age, our need for fun does not diminish any more than our other needs. As with our other needs, what changes is the way we chose to meet that need. Activities we used to engage in may no longer be possible for us. People we loved to be with may no longer be available to us.
Substitution again becomes the name of the game.
We can choose to do new things that are fun to do and to meet new people who are fun to be with. Once more, memory enters into the picture and much reminiscence focuses on the good times of our lives, the moments and events we have enjoyed, the memories of which no one can take away from us. We may even shed tears of joy, as we remember those happy occasions. This kind of reflection and the joy it brings has a forever quality to it, for it is a kind of joy that continues beyond our ability to have fun doing what we used to do and being with those we like to be with. The challenge for ministry is to help older people begin to find their need for fun being met increasingly from internal reflection and appreciation as their ability to participate in numerous external activities decreases.