It was a warm summer night in the middle of July. I sat on my bed with a heart so full. Reflecting upon what a wonderful day I had. I felt so humbled and a feeling of gratitude took over me. I had truly had one of the best days of my life! Earlier that day, I had visited an old age home. Old age is an inevitable part of human life. Elderly people need care and affection just like we all do. Despite being abandoned by their families and being cast into old age homes , the people I came across earlier that day were truly the most warm-hearted group of people I had ever come across. They were polite and humble. Every individual had so many experiences to share about themselves. All of them had so many stories and experiences to share!
My parents visit the old age care center once a week but this time I felt like joining them too. Safe to say it was one of the best decisions I ever made. We arrived at the old age home when the sun was at its highest and stayed there until dusk. Upon entering, I saw the kind, wrinkled yet beautiful faces of the inmates. At first, they only thanked me for coming to visit. “ No one visits us anymore, beta” said an elderly woman. “Especially not children your age.” she added. They all burst into a chuckle. It seemed to be a joke only they understood. I denied it at first then laughed a little too. After the atmosphere became more comfortable, we played a few board games, ate lunch, conversed a little and after a while they went to take their afternoon nap. Their soft, weak laughs were like music to my ears. It was close to evening time, when I went back inside the old age home to check on the elders as my parents and I had decided on a game for all of us to play. To my surprise, I saw that they were all still fast asleep. All of them except an elderly woman, Mary. I tried to tiptoe my way out but she heard me and called me to sit with her. At first it was nothing but efforts to make small talk but as the conversation progressed, I asked her a few questions about her life and asked her to answer them as long as she didn't mind sharing something that personal. Her response surprised me. “I'd love to answer your questions . I have been waiting for someone to ask me about my life and family." She started telling me about her teenage years and all the hardships her family had faced in those times. I realised how truly blessed we are. It gave me a sense of gratitude and made me realise how important it is to be content with what we have. As for her family, her children had unfortunately passed away in an accident. She ended up here as her relatives decided it would be best for her. So now she and her husband- Arthur live there together. “ It's not where I thought I would end up, but I'm grateful to be here. I have Arthur with me and we have made some friends here too. It's a lifestyle I have got used to living. We all laugh together, sleep, eat and drink together. I am as happy as ever here. Ever since I came here, I have never felt lonely. These people are my family. I belong here.” she said with a soft smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes. Her tone made me believe that no matter what happens, we will all be alright.
Time passed, the others finally woke up. We all played one last round of Bingo and we got ready to leave. When I was about to leave, they all thanked me for visiting them. I did not want to leave. I wanted to spend the rest of my week with those wonderful people. I felt like staying with them, making them believe that they were still cared for and loved. I decided to come back again next week and every week after that with my parents.
Spending just a few hours with the elders at the old age home taught me so much. I understood the importance of being grateful for what we have, being happy and content with ourselves and that always looking on the brighter side is the key to having a wonderful life. I learned the value of family, time and most importantly that no matter how hard our lives get, we should always smile through it all because, in the end, we will all end up exactly where we belong. Everything happens for a reason and it is always the situations we least expect to become the best memories for us. The biggest lesson I learned from that day is we feel what we choose to feel. If we choose to be happy and make the best out of every situation, we will be happy and content. If we choose to complain about every situation, we will always remain unhappy. Mary's words had truly changed my perspective more than I could imagine. That night, I went to bed with a feeling of gratitude, serenity and a heart so full of bliss.
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