Welcome back guys!! to my blog. I hope guys you all are doing great. As you have seen today's topic.. So lets start with a story ….

A Friend of my father, an octogenarian, passed away recently after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, a son and hordes of relatives to mourn the loss, read his obituary.

   My mother, who shared cordial relations whit his wife, thought that it was her duty to call her and offer condolences. However, the lady didn't answer the calls or replied to the messages. We advised her not to call repeatedly as some people take longer time to overcome the grief. She agreed and said, of course she requires more time to come out of the loss, as she must be finding very lonely without her husband around. During the course of our conversation, I found out that they were not staying with there son. I couldn't believe it, as a couple of years ago, the elderly couple had shifted to Pune for good, selling off their spacious bungalow in a plush locality and had bought a 3 BHK flat, so that they could stay comfortably with their son and his family.

They were so excited about spending time with their adorable grandson. To their utter dismay, the son refused to shift with them, saying that it's not convenient for him to commute from the new place. That is how they got the first jolt. They found it difficult to adjust in a new place all by themselves. And within two years uncle fell ill, was admitted to the hospital and passed away within a week, giving aunty hardly any time to prepare herself for the inevitable loneliness that would ensue.

  My mother, not the person to give in easily, when my couldn't have have a word with her friend, she called her son, who said that she must have kept the phone somewhere and couldn't hear the ring and its not a big deal. He also said that nobody from the family could come to pay her visit due to fear of COVID.

Now I realized her reason to remain  detached. You need people around in times of grief, people who console you, who convince you that they will be there in times of need, who tell you that you are not alone in this world. This lady was staying all alone in a new place with no one as company; the sole companion had left her.

 I feel that the Indian tradition of a joint family is the best one. The elderly people don't desire any worldly possessions. They crave for being in the mainstream and not being sidelined in the society.

  I remember, our grandmother used to insist on shaking hands whenever anyone of her children or grandchildren visited her. I realized it much later that she yearned for human touch and this is her way of obtaining it. We, Indians don't give a warm hug very often. Our way of greeting is either a Namaste or touching the feet.

     Thus the elderly, especially those who have lost their spouse are deprived of this soothing touch, which is so much essential for everyone. So, sharing the house with grand-children brings them closer. This is such a symbiotic relationship. Both of them, the grandparents and their grand-children take care of each other's needs.

   It is rightly said that old age requires so little but needs that little so much.

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