by D. Lannoye

by D. Lannoye 5 years ago

Before retiring, I worked in the senior living industry. I cannot even begin to tell you the times I have seen sadness in a seniors eyes because family has "forgotten them."

Old age is often portrayed as a time of take it easy, reflect and take hold of opportunities to do things that were put off while raising families. Unfortunately, the aging process is not always so pleasant. Events such as constant and possibly debilitating medical issues, the loss of friends and loved ones and the inability to take part in once-cherished activities can take a heavy toll on an aging person's emotional well-being.

While I worked in the senior living industry, I would have my employees write down the five most important things to them on slips of paper. I then had them fold the slips of paper and lay them down in front of them. As expected, the items would be things like - my children, my husband, my parents, my health etc. One by one, I would take a slip of paper from them to try and communicate the emotion of loss. None of us will totally understand what their loss feels like until we age, and walk in their shoes.

When I look at seniors, I see veterans that fought for our freedoms, farmers and ranchers who fed us from their long days of toil, teachers, nurses, and doctors. These individuals put the shovels in the ground and made this country what it is today. Honor them - remember them.