3rd Prize at the Essay Competition:

Caring for The Elderly

3rd Prize at the Essay Competition organised by the Department
of English and Communication
Khiugiangliu Zofia Gonmei, Allied Health Sciences
Caring for the elderly: a hindrance or an aid to self-development
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 resp
ectability. Elderly people are
precious. They are the revered members of our family, wis
e 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 effortles
sly 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 r
ather than waddling in the shallow pool. Elderly helps us t
o 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 appea
r. We learn our identity and discover who we really are b
y being with them. We become more self aware and wiser
through all the things they teach and do. Through their ac
tions we imbibe better the seeds they sown Through
their calmness and serenity from all the experiences and le
ssons 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 overco
me it. All the little things that we learnt through caring str
engthens us and help us to live life in fulfilment and satisf
action; 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 dont 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 everyones responsibility to grow into a respectable el
der-
someone whom we can go to for help and counsel. And
as no man is an island and he is constantly shaped and in
fluenced by the experience of life he go through ,
it is very important that he get the right experience and c
ounsel by being with the diamonds, and storehouse of wisd
om and goodness- the elderly!
Second prize
in Essay Competition: Caring for
the Elderly
Second prize in Essay Competition organised by the Department of
English and Communication
Riiguozenuo Suokhrie, AHS
Caring for the elderly: a hindrance or an aid to self-development
When grace is joined with wrinkles, it is adorable. There is an
unspeakable dawn in happy old age Victor Hugo.
Elderly is a reference to old people who have crossed middle age. This is
a reference to the characteristic of old age as an adjective. The old age is
an integral part of human life. It is the evening of life. It is unavoidable,
unwelcomed and problem ridden phase of life. It is interesting that
everyone wants to live a long life but not to be old. It is ironical that
however undesirable it is old age has to come. We are all compelled to
face the pain and pleasures of life. Old age complete the life pattern. It
has its own pleasures though different from the pleasures of youth.
A good deed is never lost. He who sows courtesy reaps friendship and
he who plants kindness gathers love. Life is often about being taken care
of. The lessons are often about nurturing, care and compassion. Many
people do not want to take care of the elderly especially when they are
ill as they generally have lots of emotional and physical problems
required a lot of care. Giving the best possible care and understanding
their changing needs should be the goal of caring for the elderly. Of
course, it is not easy to take care but it is definitely hard to let someone
we love slip away. Most people take care of the elderly, maybe knowing
that they have to or that there just is no one else to do it. Caring for the
elderly requires a lot of patient, empathy and understanding. It is
kindness that makes us take care of the elderly. We learn a lot from
taking care and spending time with them. We gain experience as older
people have a wealth of experience. We gain wisdom and knowledge as
they have a lot more than any of us. Their experience that life takes them
through yields a lot of wisdom. We experience gratitude. It brings a
smile on our face and most likely on theirs as well. We get to learn about
morals, principles and value that we can develop on as we live on. We
learn as they teach hoe to love, to care, to give, to forgive, to accept, o
support and face life. We get an insight into a set of rules and regulation
which we can outline for ourselves as we live.
Caregiving often leads us into a world of love we possibly didnt know.
We all need love no matter how old we are, who weve become, who we
are with, what we do. Taking care of the elderly gives us an insight to
unconditional love and help us love them in the same manner. It shows
us that this kind of love does not exist anywhere else. It help us develop
more compassion, empathy, courtesy and helps us build stronger and a
more meaningful relationship and friendship.
The additional time that we care gives us a wonderful opportunity to
create laughter and conversation with the elderly people who are lonely.
We learn that elderly people can be grouchy because of worries and
unwanted tension. Talking to the elderly gives them peace of mind and
sense of security. It helps them by taking away their despair, depression,
loneliness and so on. We can never understand how much it means to
them to have someone by their side and care for them, however their
eyes speaks of gratitude, love and happiness and it lifts their spirit.
Caregiving or taking care of the elderly improves our self-knowledge
and our identity. It develops potential and renews our self-esteem. It
rewards us in ways we cannot see however providing the basis for our
self-development. It also enhances our quality of being humane as
humanity also plays a crucial role in taking care of the elderly. Most
people do as it is the right thing to do. Caring should not only be due to
humanity however it should come from our heart. After all, we are all
bound to complete the cycle of life and face the old age, wed all want
someone to care for us. Caring for the elderly has in itself a reward and
pride as Tia Walker says To care for those who cared for us is one of
the highest honour.