One glance at the calendar and you’d realize that today’s the first of October. Let’s be honest. What would be the first thought to cross your mind? Children’s day. Of course. Then for the afterthought: Oh, its elders’ day as well. Any chance anyone out there could beg to differ? Didn’t think so.
Elders’ day overshadowed by children’s day in thought isn’t just metaphorical, it’s quite literal. As you find yourself advancing forward with time, you would never stop to turn back to look at what you have left behind. Sometimes what you leave behind can be worth more than what youll ever find in store ahead. And in your forgotten past would be the people that were once the most treasured in life- parents and grandparents who have grown older and frail with time.
Senior citizens were and still are a valuable asset to society. However the sad truth is that a majority of the elderly are left forgotten, unappreciated with no sense of belonging, undermining themselves as burdens. A country supposedly brimming with tradition and culture, where the elderly are claimed to be revered with the highest forms of respect, and yet here we have a string of stories on abandoned elderly parents left helpless by their own children, making the news time and time again. And countless stories remain untold, buried in the sad atmosphere of elders’ homes where they are left with the elderly themselves, forever forgotten.
Age is just a number they say but with time it gets harder to live by it when the people around you don’t support you positively until you finally crumble under the weight of these numerical figures we call age. Ageing is universal. We may not feel the brunt of age yet. However we’re getting there. Slowly but surely. And as you grow older, you’ll understand that weakening eye sight and hearing are not the only concerns you’ll have at stake, you’ll start losing your grip on your purpose in life and ultimately succumb to that feeling that most elders suffer from; loneliness.
Confined to nothing but four walls, they lie in wait staring out the window with nothing but the ticking of the clock to fill in the silence. Just waiting. Could be days, sometimes months. What they are waiting for is not the next episode of their favourite TV show. They’re waiting for what’s most precious to them- their children. However the clock won’t tick forever.
All it takes to address this issue of these feelings of loneliness is a simple solution-a matter of investing time and attention, in brief, making time for your elders. Ensure that they feel loved and appreciated, engage them in conversations. Give them the respect they rightfully deserve. Help them surface their talents once again and gift them with the feeling of being young again.
The elderly have played their part in dedicating their youth and energy in moulding the future generation into shape, so don’t let their efforts go to waste. It’s about time to return the favour as part of the generation they helped mould. Spread the love this elders’ day. Each smile you get in return for the happiness you create today will mean one less lonely elder out there. Support them and help them age with dignity, not dread.
Written by Rtr. Thashani Gunasekara
Worth reading !🤙🏼