Nonagenarians!

Dr William Cutting in a letter last week described his wife and the Queen Elizabeth of England as nonagenarians because of the resilience they reflect even when they are in their eighties. 

I watch older people in their morning and evening walks along the quieter roads they can find in our rural setting. Thy do have limitations in mobility and need to adapt, which they do rather well. 

For those of our who are in that trajectory of life we live with one question! What is that which gives us the inner resolve to live aspiringly each day even when we have a sense of reduced wellness in our body! Dr Cutting described in his letter three things: living with the joy of life, surrounded by those who care and having something to do bring encouragement to others. 

During a visit to Christian Medical College, Vellore recently, a friend dropped in to to recall some memories. During the recollection he mentioned that we have memories till we can remember! Thai is the delicate balance. The older people could loose their memories. That is when others can help in recollecting events and experiences of life. One contribution we can make in to the lives of senior citizens is to bring back to their memory what they no longer can remember. 

A senior friend, who feels that he is loosing his memory has developed the habit of calling a few people that he was acquainted with, to have a conversation to remember what he cannot remember. 

I get a sense that the society is not yet used to be active in supporting the senior citizens Who have special needs. 

I know of volunteers who go to visit the senior citizens to read to them, shop for them and  create occasions to bring them together for board games or story narrations or discussions of news or books ! 

A friendly society is proactive towards those in the extremes of ages- pre-school children and senior citizens!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)