At this humble senior center, senior citizens as old as 98 come using the center’s shuttle bus daily to spend time with their peers. The directors of the center organize fun events involving dancing and games and make sure there are delicious meals ready for those who arrive every day.
But the reason these seniors flock to the center day after day is that their families have, in a way, slowly forgotten them. At their age, many of the members of this center have children who have even become grandchildren, and as “remnants” left behind, they are slowly but surely pushed to the side.
One attendee of this senior center is 98-year-old Mary. Having lost strength in most of her senses, especially her eyes and ears, Mary has lived in her quaint home, alone, for years. She often feels alone and resorts to finding random chores and tasks around the house simply to fill her time with.
One task the Mary busies herself with – “and don’t laugh!”, she warns filmers – is by stripping junk mail into long thin strips. She then cuts them up further into tiny pieces to throw away. She says she has to find something to do to pass the time, or else she goes nuts. This is why she looks forward to going to the senior center every single day – she gets to meet friends, have fun, and pass the time.
Mary is often so lonely that when staff at the senior center decided to come and pay her a visit and spend a day with her, she is moved to tears. “This made my day,” she said. This short film by Voyager sheds some light on the lives of the elderly – and it’s a sad life indeed, to be forgotten.
If you have elderly grandparents or even great-grandparents, don’t forget to give them a call and visit them when you can! Don’t let them be forgotten. Share away, people.