I'm just existing

It just gets so lonely in here.

I'm not allowed to go anywhere, see anyone.

I don't even know where I am anymore.

How long have I been here?

Does anyone visit?

I hate being such a bother to you.

I wish I could just help myself.

Is there anything to do besides sit around or look out the window?

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This, folks, is stuff I hear far too often from my elderly residents. One of them even said to me: "It's not like I'm living anymore. I'm just existing." That hit me hard.

This is sad, people! I hate to rant, but sometimes this just gets me so frustrated. If you have a mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, or even great grandparents in a nursing home or assisted living, GO VISIT THEM.

It's not such a difficult thing to do, so why do so many family members forget it? I can list too many people who I love to help and talk to on a daily basis that never get visitors, and it's crushing them. And most people who do get visitors, sometimes only visit with them for 10 minutes, and then they're gone.

I'm living at school, trying to be productive, when sometimes all I can think about is how my residents are doing. I'm too scared to ask if anyone has passed away, even though I'll find out when I go in to work next anyway.

So far I've only met two residents who say they actually enjoy getting older. The rest either complain about it lightly or flat out hate getting old, wrinkly, and hard of hearing.

I think it would be great if we were a people with deeper respect and love for our aging relatives. Remember learning in 3rd grade that a whole Indian family, spanning up to four or five generations, would live in the same home? Wouldn't that be awesome if that's how our culture worked? I'm not saying move your grandparents in with you, but think about it.

I learn so much from my residents. Imagine what you could learn if you put a little more time or effort into relationships with the elderly.

Think about it. We're all just existing (until Jesus comes again!). So why not exist together?

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I know this was super random, but hey, sometimes that's how the human brain works.

Thanks for reading:)