Wrinkled Smiles...

ajjis from sneha mandir

A classroom situation, teacher is telling students about old age homes, description given by her  " When we think that our parents have become burden for us we keep them in these homes". Suddenly a student answers, "But miss, so what we keep them there ?  We pay so much of money for it".... isn’t that startling? A ten year old thinking so materialistically. How come this thought came to his mind? Forget about being sympathetic about the ones living in old age homes, he feels that it is ok if we keep our parents in old age homes. Where are we heading? is our generation opting the right values and morals? When he says that we pay so much for it that means that he is worried about money and not the old age people. Why is that today's generation becoming so materialistic?
Is that a sign that we are moving on an era where the number of old age homes would be more than real "homes"? may be yes!

Don’t know whether I am fortunate or unfortunate but we have an old age home named "sneha mandir" in my village named Bandora where I happen to visit very often as my parents do some good things for this organization. When I go there I happen to meet many "ajjis" and "ajobas" whom I don’t even know properly but still they share an unknown bond with me .May be these people are hungry for love and care that they love and welcome all the visitors visiting their home away from home. Yes, it is a home away from home for this people. They are luckier than people living in other old age homes I must say because they get everything here that an old aged person needs in this age except... the presence of their children and grandchildren. A best example is that, celebration of ganesh chaturthi..! on 15th of September I was lucky enough to witness the enthusiasm and happiness of inmates of sneha mandir during the visarjan of ganesha idol. The way Burye kaka (an inmate from sneha mandir) was singing the songs while immersing the idol and the way all others were showing their happiness was a sign that they were enjoying the festive season. But only question in my mind was, is this happiness enough for them? Are they really happy? Or as I always say that just because I laugh a lot doesn’t mean that I am always happy, it’s just the way of hiding pains, maybe even they hide their sorrows and pains behind their wrinkled smiles ..

I always try to bring smile on their faces just by showing them that we are no lesser than their grandchildren but I know they are not kids to accept anything that is told. They have a realisation  about the reality and accept the life that is given to them. But I have just one request to young generation of mine not to become so materialistic like that 10 year old boy for whom the money is more important than old parents! We can earn money whenever and wherever we want to but we would never get our parents back once we lose them... think upon it...
Signing out
Tanuli!

sneha mandir..home away from home...