Our Elders Needs Our Care And Attention…

Life is not always as interesting as we want it to be. We happen to experience its ups and downs. Life, most of the time, remains multidimensional. And this is more of a reason why the table turns. The table turns in the sense that you might be young today, and then with time, you realize you are not any younger but getting older.

In the real sense when we take a look at life, we realize that no condition is permanent. The position you are in today, someone already used to such a position, the stage of life you are presently in, someone else already passed through it. So if you're young and agile today, remember that the older ones around you who can't walk as fast as you do were once more agile and active than you. But it happened that life tells on them and you are also not exempted.

Religiously, we all have the holy book preaching about caring for our parents and respecting our elders. If for nothing's sake, we should know for certain that if one doesn’t end up leaving the world at a young age, then one will surely experience old age.

You get what you give out. Some people call it Karma. But it's just the nature of life. Life is not really all about being kind and polite. Sometimes a lot unfolds that keeps us surprised about some life incidents.

Taking good care of your kids doesn’t mean that kid will be the one to care for you when you get older and age. It might be a kid from nowhere you never even expected that will be there for you till your end time. And there are times when you don’t care about people, you might be so brutal and unkind at your young age, and yet be gifted with nice people around you when old.

What makes people scared of old age is not the ability not to do things themselves. But what's scary is the fact that no one knows who is going to be there for them when that time comes. Kids might get too busy and abandon their parents, what about those who don’t have kids anymore or those who don't have kids at all?

Old age is good, but only when surrounded by loved ones. I witnessed my paternal grandmother's old age and I wished for a better life than hers. She was blessed with almost all she wanted at that age. She saw her grandchildren and she was so happy around us. She was so healthy and strong, she could walk and do things herself despite her age till she met her demise. Despite how old she was, no one wanted her to leave. We all wanted her to stay longer with us.

So it's kinda different in all parts of the world. I have come to realize that in the Western world, they tend to have their old ones in Retirement Homes where they can meet with other older ones like them and then get cared for by professionals. But I bet it's never the same in Africa. Elderly ones here find joy and happiness in being around their own people. It is just like sending them to the grave when you think of taking them to retirement homes.

This is my response to the HIVE LEARNERS weekly prompt in hive learners community for the Week 144 Edition 2 and the topic to be discussed is RETIREMENT HOMES OR WITH FAMILY