men
Yesterday was CHRISTMAS the birth of our LORD JESUS CHRIST a very meaningful day indeed for the majority of us that is. As I observed many many folk shopping in one of the very few stores open (drugstore), I encountered an elderly gentleman a little after 10am, swho asked for my help. As I began to listen to his story I began to see something that I find not only apalling but unforgivable. This senior needed to contact his 40 something daughter and he only her work number and her bhome number. Well you say why didn't he just call her himself or go look for her, well when you'er in a lot of pain and misery and hardly able to walk and your phone is broken and you don't have enough money and working with a fixed income thats difficult. This gentleman has arthritis and is walking with a cane to ballance himself. He asked me if i would be so kind as to call his daughter for him because he needed some money to just get a bottle of pain pills for his pain. So I called the numbers he gave me and first of all her home number is not working and her employment has a mailbox thats full. I detected a strong odor of kerosene in his clothing, later I find out he doesn't have any heat in his home. Anyway He was able to obtain his medication for his pain. Then He asked me to read something him. Here stands an elderly parent who shared with me that he was from the south and was raised on a farm and had lillte schooling brcause he had to leave school to work the farm at an early age so his reading was limited, although he had been a unionised laborer for sometime in this area. 
I think it says something about the world we live in today, and it is not a pleasant story. I know a couple, one of whom is in an assisted living facility and the other is in a nursing home. They have three grandchildren and one great grand child and until Christmas day they had not seen any of them since last February. All of the grandchildren live only 40 miles away. The couple are in bad health and can no longer drive.
This couple, when they were able, were active in their Church. In fact they contributed a sum of money to provide a large cross behind the altar. The only thing anyone in the Church has done for my friends since they entered the homes was to bring a basket of fruit and a poinsettia. I watched this happen to my own parents. The Church no longer knew them when they were old and helpless.
Do you think the Church, like children, have a responsibility to their aging congregation?
Thank you for being so compassionate to stop and help this gentleman out!
My parents are only 60 some years old and a lot of my friends parents are between the ages of 50-60 and I was very suprised that only a few of us actually talk to our parents about what they are going to do when they hit retirement and lack of money. I have one friend and her siblings already in a situation with their 70-80 year old parents and my sister and I are already looking to them for advice on how to help our parents out.
I dont' know if it is the way people are raised or what but you see more and more families forgetting about their older family members. You see people forgetting about older people in general! I thank the Goddess Anu every day that I was raised decently to not only worry about my parents but teach my children to respect and care about the Elders in our community.
Many thanks to you my Christian Sister:
This is what love is all about. Our parents sacrifice and give up a lot to make sure we have and when they no longer are able to care for themselves and look to us for help we put them in retirement homes or nursing homes and forget them. I have two sister siblings and our parents are in their 80's, mother's 84 daddy is 83 and they live alone at home and we make sure they are comfortable and want for nothing. Even our kids follow this example.
If I might add, I'm older then your parents and still working everyday and I thank GOD for the ability to do that. I/we've been blessed. Take care and once again thanks do much.
Peace love and understanding
