Life Lessons at a Senior Home

This summer, I have been spending much of my days helping out at a senior home.

I love it! The building is really nice, with cozy furnishings and friendly people. My job includes talking to the residents, serving them treats and coffee, setting back the table (after a meal), playing trivia with the residents, and just helping out.

I was really surprised with how old some of the residents are. It’s kind of nerve-wracking to be surrounded by all elderly people.

Many of the residents feel useless and abandoned. “What can we do?” “We sit here and do nothing everyday” and “This place is dead”. It’s sad to see their stage in life when they’re too old to look after themselves, when all they can do is wait.

Many of them have trouble hearing, speaking, and walking. Some look like walking skeletons. Or actually skeletons in wheelchairs.

As a young person, seeing this pains me. It’s the least I can do to take someone on a walk or hold a hand or talk with them. This experience also motivates me to work harder and do something meaningful with my life. How lucky I am! I am capable of so much. How the residents would love to be young and free again.

Sometimes we fail to see truly how lucky we are. We get so caught up with life that we forget we can see and breathe and laugh and dream and walk and remember and go to places. And for the most part, we forget we have two good eyes and legs and arms and all of our fingers.

So whatever that’s bothering you today- forget it. Smile because you still have your life to live. You aren’t forced to wait in a building for the rest of your life- and don’t make it seem like that way.