That day awaited by the workers of this vast country had come to Ivan, an old sexagenarian São Paulo. After a glorious day of toil, many sleepy mornings, running out of time, in the eternal desire not to lose time, employment and keep on the table the daily bread, that bitter and suffered everyday human existence finally reached the day of his retirement, meager benefit that barely allow him to survive.

He could not stop working because retirement only served to pay the rent. It was necessary to continue, who knows how long God ... until the day someone too senile judge to exercise their profession in a Swiss multinational of São Paulo.

And this day came in the 1996 Christmas Eve in the form of a terse letter that briefly reported that, from that moment, his services were being released, his career was over, after almost 35 years uninterrupted and many broken dreams work. Contingencies of life, said trying to justify the ruthless and inhumane act of firing an employee the day before Christmas. They could at least expect the parties to pass and break the news earlier this year. It would be human.

Ivan felt the bitter taste of rejection of a society that has not got used to the uncomfortable presence of a large number of inactive older, which in its opinion only served to disrupt the young and active people, anxious to find a job to earn their livelihoods and recalcitrant to have to put up with people as "dead" and "empty" in their life goals.

The old retired felt like a heavy burden in the back of the Government, which did not know how to sustain it, with so many social security crisis and hopes it goes away quickly, this life to a better, giving way to another retired. The only consolation of the old Ivan was his faithful companion struggles and hardships, Fatima, who advised him not to be so negative and pessimistic about life.

- "Suddenly, I feel useless, an old disposable object, which is rejected and thrown in the trash, after long time use was the saddest Christmas of my life." - Said feeling the obstinate tears wanting to wet his face.

- "Do not say that, that God punishes Things will get better, you'll see Everything is possible..."

- "Possible as Where are the possibilities? - He asked Ivan.
- "Chances are here" - Fatima said pointing to his head - "Just want to have faith and act."

- "It's not that easy, the life of a retired sad and its uncertain future."
Ivan muttered head down.

It must be so that retirees feel when they are away from the labor market after a lifetime dedicated to certain insensitive bosses who think only in the profits of their companies and transform their older employees in disposable and useless beings in its design, for the growth of their companies. The experience of many years of work little value within the globalizing market environment where the machine has a greater role to the detriment of human labor increasingly rejected, which is increasing alarmingly the numbers of unemployed, percentage ever seen throughout history, especially in Brazil.

Resigned by his wife, Ivan did not abate, moved to San Vicente in Santos, where he bought a small apartment, so getting rid of the infamous rent and threw himself body and soul to new tasks, keeping their all time busy, for example, take care of people in need of care, love and affection, words so despised nowadays in a world obsessed with his war achievements. The two old retired embraced the cause of making the world a little better, within their community and bring some peace and Christian solidarity to those in need.

For many years, in addition to his professional activities in the active, dedicated their spare time to the performing arts and eventually became professionals. They felt great pleasure in writing texts, assemble and represent theatrical and now retired and with time pieces in 2001 went to work as volunteers in an institution for the blind (Institution Braille Santos), where they established a special workshop theater, where writing and amounted performances, which could bring some leisure and rescue citizenship and self-esteem of students. Rewarding work, which transformed his students in anxious friends do a good job for the sake of authority, who welcomed them and to sustain them in the immense difficulties of the daily life of a visually impaired.
Ivan and Fatima just have to thank God who awakened to the reality that ignored. Found that there are people with more serious problems and these are their measly grains of sand compared with the huge stones that humanity has to carry.

- "I told you that things will get better" - confided Fatima with an engaging smile - "Here we are helping many people regain their citizenship and self-esteem lost in the insensitivity of life."
Life is no longer empty and has become more attractive to those who did not expect any prospect of a brighter future, this final path of their existence. At least the work served to dispel the negative existential crises. Everyone who works has no time to think about death. The prayers of Ivan and Fatima for a better world were heard when, moved, received an invitation to participate as actors and authors of a theatrical staging of the Passion of Christ (Jesus, the Last Days) which was held outdoors in 2003 Saldanha da Gama club Santos, bringing together 150 actors. It was an immense and moving tribute to our Christ the Saviour, where we tried to emphasize as experienced and expected PEACE, the world plunged into war, both longs and see how hard it is afflicted conquer it. The people need more events like this that speak of love, solidarity and peace in the troubled days of our era, always seeking the Divine Light.

We must rediscover God that our desperate search to find a reason to live with dignity the years remaining in the life and Fatima found in 2013 in Sukyo Mahikari an answer to their wishes, when after a seminar, began to make the laying on of hands and discover and mitigate through spiritual purification problems of dozens of people - the best way to be supportive and courteous to those around us and always with a smile, in order to enjoy this precious gift from God and, above all, never forget the words of Christ: "Love one another as I love you." The rest of life teaches ...

Short story published in the XI International Anthology words in the Third Millennium of the Phoenix Publisher of São Paulo, in October 2014, pages 115-118.

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