Caring for the elderly: a hindrance or an aid to self-development

Khiugiangliu Zofia Gonmei *

To care for someone who once cared for us is the highest honour. Getting old is an inevitable process. It is inherent to human being.

And with old age comes maturity, wisdom and respectability. Elderly people are precious. They are the revered members of our family, wise sages and keeper of traditions. They are a goldmine storehouse of knowledge.

Personally, I feel caring for the elderly aids to self-development. Old-age is a time when they need help in things they effortlessly do by themselves before. It is a time when they need attention and affection.

Elderly are the truest form of wisdom. They have lived for a long time- from generations to generations. They teach us respect, perseverance, wisdom. By being with them and caring for them establish relationships.

Connecting with them we learn to grow. We learn patience and tolerance by caring for them.

As they have lived long they know life very well. They have been through the ups and downs of life.

We learn how to face problems- we learn everyone have to face problems and anyone can overcome it. Elderly people love to share. They deal with things very deeply.

They teach us to look at things in a deeper level rather than waddling in the shallow pool. Elderly helps us to see people as well as ourselves differently- in a good way. There teach us that that there is so much more to things as well as people than they appear.

We learn our identity and discover who we really are by being with them. We become more self aware and wiser through all the things they teach and do.

Through their actions we imbibe better the seeds they sown Through their calmness and serenity from all the experiences and lessons they have learnt and gathered through the years they provide us a better platform for us follow and imitate as actions speak louder than words.

Caring for them benefits us in many ways and prepares us to face life and overcome it. All the little things that we learnt through caring strengthens us and help us to live life in fulfilment and satisfaction; storing all the things that we learnt and doing it.

Elderly teach us the value of family, relationships and life. As humans are industrious being- we don’t like to feel stagnant. We love progress. And through progress we win.

Caring for the elders help us to grow in many ways which altogether lead to who we are. We owe to them. We will not be here if it were not for them.

It is everyone’s responsibility to grow into a respectable elder - someone whom we can go to for help and counsel.

And as no man is an island and he is constantly shaped and influenced by the experience of life he go through , it is very important that he get the right experience and counsel by being with the diamonds, and storehouse of wisdom and goodness- the elderly!