Mary Tony is 98 years old. She lives alone and does her best to make her every day fun. But how happy can a daily routine of a lonely old woman be? Mary began to get depressed of boredom more and more often.
However, everything changed when she started going to a care center for the elderly. There the woman could easily forget about her loneliness and sadness. And so one day a TV crew visited the center. During the filming Mary felt herself special and didn’t stop laughing.
The center staff does everything to brighten up the life of the elderly. An employee of the center once said something very touching: “Sometimes it happens so, that one of them goes back home and never comes back, because they are no more…I want to always be sure, that their last day was cheerful and happy. They are just as human, as we are, and not less important, than the younger ones.”
When the crew asked Mary what she was doing at home, the smile on her face gave its place to an incredible trace of loneliness.
_But what can I do? I live alone. I hear and see nothing. In the evenings I’m always looking forward to the next morning to come back here. I like to spend my time here. But, unfortunately, there’s no one here at weekends. So, when at home, I take my old magazines and tear them into strips. The I tear this strips into small pieces, put it in a bag, and throw the bag out. After all, I need to do something in order not to go insane. This dull activity distracts me…
Hearing this the center staff couldn’t hold their tears. After the work, they went home and started considering their lives. They have never even given a thought about what elderly people do at home, where there is no one but them.
However, Mary doesn’t feel sorry for herself. After filming, she thanked the TV crew for visiting her and giving her unforgettable memories. Due to such attention, the woman got noticeably happier. After the crew left, she stood in the doorway for a long time and watched them go.
It is the human attention and warmth that Mary values most of all. She’s sure that it’s worth living just for that. Care, kindness and love – without them our existence would’ve been unbearable. Therefore it’s very important to shower the elderly with them, as every day might be the last for them. Maybe your smile is the only thing to lift their spirit and help them forget their sadness. Don’t forget about it!
