Elderly Memories of Their First Day of School

September means back to school and for many parents a new phase of their children's lives. Being a parent seems to be a series of phases where you look up and see your child become older, in a moment. It reminds me of going into work later that day so I could be a part of getting my daughters ready and taking them to those early grade school years, walking with them in their specially purchased and selected new school clothes, book bag and lunch container to their school door, giving them a kiss and telling them to "Have fun, we love you, see you later." It is a huge day and a signal of life change for the whole family.

This also makes me think of the elderly and my mother, who is now 91, a victim of Alzheimer's Disease and living in a nursing home. It makes me think of how she was a small child of grade school age, also getting ready for that first day of school with the same wonderment and joy of being a child. We forget so often about the elderly living their lives exactly as we do, everyday. They were no different than our children and they had their entire lives ahead of them to discover and face challenges and enjoyment of being young and new. What a strange thing life is! It almost seems impossible that the same person, now old, wrinkled, gray haired, frail, sitting in a wheelchair and staring into nothingness with perhaps memories of that first day of school, or perhaps, nothing in their minds at all at that moment. could be that young, laughing, endless questioning child of boundless energy.

Our aging parents were also young parents, who were excited about putting those new school clothes on their young children, going into work late and watching their children walk into their first day of school. We all are human beings and basically fill out our primary reason for being on this planet by bringing new lives into this world, nurturing them when they are young, teaching them to be kind, thoughtful and caring people, who then become adults and repeat the same purpose. It is what the human species does. It is what we do.

We will all come to this last phase of life and how we think of, care for and support our elderly will reflect how we will be thought of when we are the elderly. The next time you see an elderly person, or visit your elder family loved one in a nursing home, make a mental picture of them as a young child, dressed in that new, special outfit and walking into their first day of school and wonder how they felt and how they had a lifetime of events and special memories before they came to today. It will give you a special connection and bond as you may see yourself in their eyes.