As I often maintain that everything doing rounds on social media is not junk and sometimes the posts or videos that we receive can make a very deep and lasting impression.
Received a three minutes video from an old friend of mine, where an old man with a chessboard set in front of him is waiting for his partner, his son to be precise, to be seated opposite to him so that game can be commenced. A lady comes walking and occupies the seat opposite to the old man much to his chagrin. He admonishes lady to have checked with him before sitting as this is reserved for his son who’s joining him soon for a round of chess. She apologises and moves away slightly vacating the spot directly opposite the old man. A young boy comes and sits opposite the old man and starts the game. The old man appreciates the skill of this young boy and tells him that his son also makes the same opening gambit. In conversation with the young boy, he laments about his son not finding a girl to get married. Meanwhile, the young boy loses the round and moves to the lady sitting close by as he’s her son. The old man praises the young guy to his mother and checks about the others in the family. When the lady keeps quite, he sympathises and asks whether her man has left her. She says sort of – he’s dead! The old man apologises for having touched a raw nerve and proposes that he’d be glad to have her as his son’s bride and her son as his grandson. She breaks down and starts sobbing. The old man looks for his handkerchief to offer it to the lady for wiping her tears, but is unable to find one! That’s when the lady gets up and tells him, “ Jerry, handkerchief is in your upper left pocket.” Meanwhile, the young boy comes back and tell his mother, “ Mom let’s take grandpa home as it’s time for dinner”.
The commentary then tells us that 1 in 9 individuals above 65 suffers from Alzheimer’s and we should respect those who take care of such affected people.
The video raises goosebumps as such is the viciousness of this condition that one neither remembers the immediate nears and dears taking care of him day and night, nor those nears and dears who cease to exist!
We worry about age related ailments – BP, sugar, heart condition, rheumatism, cataract, hearing loss et al, but there are much worse things in the form of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Let’s keep our minds active, relationships healthy and emotions in check. Strong family support and hobbies can be a panacea for such conditions.
Arvind Arya blog 