Justice4Poland
Connecting true geography and detailed unfolding of wide variety of crimes perpetrated by German/Ukrainian Nazis and communist Soviet Union on the Polish nation.
An old age
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” ~ Morrie Schwartz
It seems the older a person becomes the less visible they are. They are no longer deemed important once their bodies and minds start to fail and it appears they no longer have anything to offer the mainstream world. Thousands of elderly people are being abused and neglected in their homes by their cruel family members and society. In some cases the treatment is so appalling that the pensioners have left ‘wanted to die’. The elderly are neglected and “forgotten” by society because people don’t want to be reminded of their own mortality. And depression become a common problem in older adults.
There are some people who love and cherish their older relatives and take extremely good care of them, however there are many who don’t.
India’s cultural view of elderly care is similar to that of Nepal’s. Parents are typically cared for by their children into old age, most commonly by their sons. It should be noted that in these countries, elderly citizens, are viewed in very high regard. Traditional values demand honor and respect for older, wiser people.
As a society we tend to write off old people as “past their use by date”.
Would you ask the opinion of a 75 year old woman on a social issue pertinent to something going on today?
Too often grand-kids see their grandparents as either crazy or boring, when they should be viewing their elders as sources of wisdom. Whilst they are often thought of as “old fashioned” what we tend to forget is they have seen the world change more than any other generation of people who have ever lived.
Think about what Australia was like in the 1930’s and 1940’s and think about it now. Sadly, we treat their views as “what would they know, things are different now, old people are always whining about the good old days”. We discard them along with all the other things we throw away when they are no longer “in vogue”.
Once upon a time we made our stuff last a lifetime. We looked after our belongings, we treasured them. Everything could be mended and fixed, many times over. We didn’t throw things away. If something broke it might be fashioned into something else, or it was kept in the shed “just in case”. Nothing was discarded. Now we don’t seem to put any value to products, workmanship or even human beings, who are discarded in a way people discard off their old junk leaving it on the nature strip for hard rubbish collection. Today’s generation know no compassion, no appreciation and/or no sensitivity.
Instead they show a lot of disrespect and even abusive behaviour towards their elderly parents. They won’t accept even a slightest word of constructive criticism that would rather help improve their poor egos.
In previous times our elderly were also better taken care of. Families seemed to have more time to spend with their parents and grandparents. Family outings included all generations. In many cases up to three generations lived in the same home. The elderly were called upon to impart advice, provide assistance with rearing of children. They were included. They had a purpose. They weren’t discarded.
A conversation with an elderly person is something special. They know about things we couldn’t even imagine. They lived in a time that we would struggle to survive in now. They made sacrifices that we could not even imagine doing. They risked their lives fighting enemies in wars so you could live. They migrated to another country, leaving their best years, best friends and close family behind in order to provide better opportunities for their children, who now just dismiss it all, their parents efforts unappreciated. Starting all over again in a new country, they often worked two jobs to achieve a comfortable life style for their now ungrateful children. So much is expected of parents to be there, often rescuing their children from their financial, legal and emotional troubles, but giving nothing or not much in return, not even the rightfully deserved respect.
When was the last time you sat down and talked to an elderly person? Not chit chat about the weather and their latest ailments, but really asked them important questions about their life. Of course they will want to tell you about their arthritis and sore back and ingrown toenails, that’s what they do, but underneath that is world of stories that will make you laugh and make you cry. You just have to take the time to ask and listen, for some day you will also be in their shoes, waiting and hoping and/or perhaps even hurting…”When the elderly get reacquainted with family members, it makes dying a bit easier for them.
An old age is fair, because it touches every human being, regardless of who they were and/or still are; whether they are modest people who live in their own little world, or people whose faces are well know from the TV screens. Old age is an unfashionable topic reluctantly shown in our culture, that is widely avoided, because the modern world is in need for the perfect beauty, without wrinkles and imperfections. People do not like ugliness and death, and such images are dismissed into a very distant plan, as if it would have never concerned us. However, the old age gets closer every day making us aware, that suddenly we become unwell and physically unfit, like our parents before us, but only a few are fortunate enough to have someone keeping them company in their loneliness and old age. They are often being abandoned by their own heartless and insensitive adult children. Old people become the inconvenient community, doomed to oblivion and vegetation, until death come claiming their lives.
And then the ignorant children amazingly appear remembering their parents when they come back to claim their inheritance…
So many elderly people live alone without regular visits from family and friends. Imagine it could be you some day… Most often the only person they see each day is the Meals on Wheels volunteer.
Next time you see an elderly person, smile and say ‘Hello’. Help them if they are struggling. You could be the only person they have spoken to all day. You will most likely make their day. If you have young children, remember to set an example and teach them to care and respect their elderly grandparents, so that they know how to care for you in your old age.
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“You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land.
Tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth.
If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.
The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.
Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it.
“Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself”
— Chief Seattle
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Related:
Haunting, moving, disturbing – a rare insight into the reality of daily life inside one of Britain’s care homes
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1199969/Haunting-moving-disturbing–rare-insight-reality-daily-life-inside-Britains-care-homes.html#ixzz4G3bwjVXr
I felt let down by my daughter
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/yin-and-yang/sue-asks-348379.html
https://livinglifeasme.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/old-sad-forgotten-why/
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There could be many unique partners in your lifetime but only ONE parents
RESPECT YOUR FATHER & MOTHER FOR YOU HAVE JUST ONE
WHEN THEY ARE GONE THERE WILL BE NONE
WITHOUT THEM WE WOULDN’T BE HERE
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Old people can still make eye contact and smile. You never know how much this cheers others up. Those lost people are often just lonely for a friendly face.