Do unto others

I keep thinking about what happens to senior people when they come to an age when they can no longer fend for themselves.When I was in the Education Ministry we used to visit the old folks home with gifts and presents on teachers Day. no doubt this was quite superficial but there were opportunities to sit down and chat with the old people and often we hear , sadly, that they were there because they were not wanted anymore. When we think of the people responsible for abandoning their parents and grand parents our first thought will be " How callous and uncaring these people are !" and sad to say there is some truth in it. It brings a lump to your throat when you look at them with sadness in their eyes and face and you cant help but wonder what thoughts fly through their heads when they think of how they came to be abandoned and left to pass the rest of their days in desolation.Young people have become selfish , uncaring and inconsiderate and they are so wrapped up in their own affairs that they fail to look beyond their own needs and objectives.Old people do not have much time left in this world and the least we can do for them is to make sure that the remaining days in their lives are spent in comfort and love. Old people , if they can, would rather depend on themselves than to lean on others .this , in order not to experience pain and heartache.I remember when I was recovering from illness I asked for some food to be bought for me.A simple request , not out of the way and behold my disappointment when there was nothing bought for me on the excuse that "I forgot ".It was an eye opener telling us how much caring exists.There were also times when we asked for something to be done and had to wait for hours for it to be attended to.I am never one for procrastination and to me , when someones asks you to do something, a simple thing and you procrastinate then just forget it. These little incidents tell us that at the end of the day " Depend on yourself " and you will not be disappointed or hurt.This seems to be the norm amongst old people nowadays. We care for our children so much that we would sacrifice our time and energy doing things ourselves than to ask them .Excuses like " I forgot ", " I am busy " are unacceptable because it only shows a lack of concern and care.It also is an indication of attitude .why is it that parents are so willing to sacrifice their time and energy when there is no reciprocal ? Parents always put the interests of the family ahead of theirs and no task is too big for them to handle. My parents are no longer here and when I look back I would like to believe that I had been a filial son and done what I could possibly do when they were alive. That is why I feel no regrets and remorse over what I could have done as I had given them best.We should appreciate those who are still with us and treat them as they deserve to be treated.Remember life is fragile and there is no point to regret or shed crocodile tears when they are gone !It matters not how much you put on a show when they are gone but it matters much how you treat them when they are still around.