久病床前無孝子

…that’s what the Taiwan consumers are saying (am working on a project involving senior citizens). How aptly put. Though I am still far away from the senior age bracket, this is something that I am wary of.

Our common fear: fall sick and become a burden to others. As much as we say we want to ensure our healthiness and make sure we don’t fall ill in the most miserable way, we can’t run away from the fact that we indeed need someone to care for us in our later years. Or even just to check on us (to make sure we are still alive and kicking, not ‘departed’ without anyone knowing).

Recall the story reported in the papers sometime back - an elderly Chinese couple who puts up a ‘recruitment ad’ for a daughter? They are looking for a “daughter” who can look after them, despite them having a real daughter living in the States (can’t remember the exact details). It’s depressing…but that’s the reality. No matter how filial a child is to a parent, there’s a threshold of so much one can take. It’s a good thing that some organizations are creating awareness about supporting the caregivers currently. Likewise, being part of the aging population myself in future, I also see that it’s my responsibility to embrace the fact that I will need to rely on people somehow in my later years.

Saying this reminds me of Tuesdays with Morris (one of the books I would recommend if one wants to understand about living and humility) – learn to let go and be humble.