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Liz: “I see my elderly mom every week …. what do you mean she is lonely?”
As Singapore’s population ages, the specter of loneliness will plague all of us. Being social beings, we have an intrinsic need to bond with people. We have the need to be able to confide in someone, we have the need to feel like we belong, and we have the need to be able to get and give support. Relationships are therefore key to a life of meaning. Of course, being alone and being lonely are not the same. You can literally be around people all the time and still be lonely.
Today, everyone works and for most families, weekends are a whirlwind of tuition classes, enrichment programs, and music lessons. In between, it is a quick lunch or snack with grandma and grandpa. Thus, like Liz, many are shocked to learn that their parents are actually lonely.
As mentioned earlier, loneliness is a state of mind. A feeling. This is why quality matters more than quantity. Being fully “present” with your elderly parents for 10 minutes will mean more to them than spending 2 or 3 hours with them when you are distracted.
So what can busy, but filial, children do?
Here are 3 simple things you can do that will mean the world to your elderly parents:
