There is no excuse now for simply dropping out of life. As long as we breathe we have a responsibility for the cocreation of the world, for the good of the human race.
Old age is not a free ride to irresponsibility. Now we must take our place among the sages of the world, comparing, evaluating, cajoling, and bringing experience to bear as have the elders of every generation before us.
Now, too, we have a responsibility to mentor the generations after us in the values and ideals that built a society based on equality, respect for others, and pluralism.
— Joan Chittister, The Gift of Years