My great-grandmother lives in a nursing home now. When I was in elementary school, I used to visit her with my grandparents. She was OK for a while and used to ask me a lot of different questions.
But one day, she started asking the same questions. She would say : “What's your favorite food ?”and I would say, “I like sushi.” She would say : “Oh, that’s nice !” and then she would ask me the same question again. : What’s your favorite food ? So I would say : “Let’s see, I like sushi.” She would say : “Really ? What’s your favorite food ?”
She had changed a lot ! She gradually lost her memory. She forgot who my grandparents were, who my parents were and who I was.
I was very sad, but I couldn’t run a way from the reality. So I decided to be there for her even though she couldn’t remember me.
One day I had a very moving experience with an elderly woman. When I saw her, I greeted her and said, “the weather sure is nice today, isn’t it ?” And she said, “Oh, yes, so, who is your great grandmother ?”
I said, “My great-grandmother is ○○○.” She said, “Oh, I see. She’s my friend. I like her. ” I said, “Thank you ! I’m glad.” Just then she became silent. She didn’t say anything. I looked at her and noticed that she was crying. At first I didn’t know why. Then I realized it was because she was lonely.
The number of elderly people in Japan is going to increase in the future, so I think children need to learn what elderly people think and know how they feel. I want to meet many elderly people and talk to them. I believe that such communication will make them happy and brighten their lives. I hope that everyone can always live with a smile, from children to the elderly.
