We owe the elderly so much, so let’s help them

I WAS moved a day or so ago when I saw an old lady, who could possibly be a shade past 80 years old, struggling with her trolley at one of the supermarkets. She battled with the traffic of other callous trolleys as she struggled to reach the items on the shelves.

Eventually, she made her way to the till with a groaning basket, balancing herself on everything and anyone as she did so. She left, but she stayed with me. I thought of my late grandmother and the weight of time. She withered in front of me, her years a blur, and a memory fading like the colour of her hair. Growing older is a beautiful and painful thing, and like all things that come in pairs, a gift and a curse.

In a perfect world, ageing men and women should be given the space and time to see their wondering years in as much comfort as possible, and not in the impatient, frightening world of an indifferent society.

For even though the poet reminds us that our hearts are like muffled drums that beat us to our graves, this morose march need not be a curse.

For this reason, I wish to challenge my fellowreaders, let us do something useful for the elderly. I am prepared to offer my services free of charge – to read, clean, cook and the like – to anyone who is elderly and in need of help. Or if you are in need of companionship or simply to walk on the beach, my only payment will be petrol and the ease I wish to bring in your life.

The elderly sacrificed so much, we owe it to them for who we are.