Illuminating Shadows: Embracing Elders
Diwali’s radiant glow, Eid’s jubilant celebrations, or Christmas’s warm tidings often mask a painful reality for many elders. Amidst the festive clamor, their inner void grows starker, casting a shadow over their dimming presence. Loneliness wraps around them like a heavy shroud, thickening with each passing year. What once was a vibrant spirit now fades into the background, leaving them feeling unimportant, overlooked, and irrelevant.
Festivals, which should bring joy, often plunge them into a deepening abyss of isolation. The weight of neglected celebrations accumulates, making the darkness feel insurmountable.
This year, let’s change the story. Forget material gifts—they hold little value now. Offer something far more precious: genuine connection. As we age, human touch becomes a rare and treasured gift. Even the most reserved among us long for the warmth of a hug, the gentle touch of a hand, the tender kiss on the cheek.
Make every festive occasion a beacon of love and kindness. Reach out to them. Show them, with your eyes and your heart, how much they mean to you. Let your embrace be a sanctuary, a refuge from the encroaching darkness.
This, is the most profound gift one can give—to them and to oneself. Let compassion’s light shine brightly, turning every holiday into a celebration of love, ensuring that no elder spends another festival enveloped in shadows.
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28Amit Vaishnav, Sashi Rekha S Iyer and 26 others