When we were raised by our parents, love, care, support & protection was what we got from them. The knowledge that we’ve learned from our old folks is the same “genetic skill” that we use in facing the challenges of life. However, after years of growing up under the care of our loving parents, we are now ready to go on our own. We may be thankful to our parents, but later we decide to vacate and leave our parents on their own. Or worse senile they become, we put them into exile, in nursing homes or in the home for the aged.
By leaving our old folks, our conscience do not bothers us because we are busy in keeping abreast in everything we do as independent “future seekers.” In the process the tie that binds is slowly loosening up because we have no family to share with, no parents to care about.
This scenario or facts of life is traditionally the case in the industrialized countries. Senior citizens are being put into nursing homes. The concern of caring for the old folks usually passed onto the hard working caregivers or senior carers for them to give TLC instead. But other old folks don’t get help from the said institutions because they live alone in their country homes, tenements, apartments or flats as the Brits called and sometimes poor senior citizens live by the streets because the worst of times had caught with them & deprived to live in a place called “home.”
Although, the latter is not a familiar face in rich countries, the opposite is what can be seen in third world countries. Homeless senior citizens crowd the dirty and dangerous street environment compounded by the lack of facilities and support from the family, religious, government and the private sectors. Perhaps the absence of these things has contributed to the sad and distressful plight of old folks longing for TLC from their family.
Thus, for me, the love and care that I received from my parents is irreplaceable. Giving them TLC or tender loving care is an honest responsibility that we should share with our old folks till their last hurrah on earth. How about you, do you give back the love and care that your parents have shared with you? Just asking…it’s not too late for you to reciprocate the support, protection, love and care that you received from your old folks.
