“Grandparents make the world … a little softer, a little kinder, a little warmer.”

Grandparents! Who are they? They are warmth, comfort, elegance, and golden wisdom. They are home.  My grandmother, for instance, is the embodiment of generosity and kindness. With her soft eyes darting from plate to plate on the dinner table, she always makes sure everyone has everything they could possibly need and more. Her hands are magical and possess the power to turn any dish- cultural or continental- into the best meal you’ve ever had. Her faith is strong enough to get anyone through rough storms and her smile is contagious enough to light up every face in a room.

But Coronavirus has left her along with many others disturbed and restless. Apart from the obvious risk of contamination and adverse effects resulting from weak immune systems, the virus has led to a majority of the elderly feeling helpless during these already turbulent times. Especially with the main source of information being the hyperbolic media, every fact is blown out of proportion- “the elderly population is at more risk? No, the elderly population is bound to get infected.” she is naïve, and it is only after an enormous amount of consoling that the mountain is seen as the boulder it actually is.

After a lifetime of rush, responsibilities, and deadlines, the old age is a golden time to relax and spend time with loved ones as well as on doing whatever you love. And now the virus has taken away this opportunity. The elderly are forced to live inside locked houses with pandemonium on the corner of every street outside. They are forced to be dependent on the youth for even the most trivial tasks such as grocery shopping. And although their sons and daughters, who almost always seemed to be on the tightest schedule imaginable, are relatively free, meeting them is a risk. So they have to stay away- restless, and keeping an out for every morsel of hope.

 

Author credits: Ayushi Agarwal, 17, Glendale Academy International, Hyderabad