Saturday was my first time volunteering with T.H.E seniors
and I would say it was a great and fulfilling experience for me.
The two elderly we visited were Mdm Chow Moi and Mdm Ho. Mdm
Chow Moi is a very cute old lady, she is the epitome of cuteness! She smiled and waved the moment she saw us by
the gate, as if she was expecting our visit. We didn’t have to do any housework
for her as her house was quite clean. Instead, we made friendship bands and
played some Chinese songs for her to sing along. Even though she doesn’t know
the songs, she would just give us a shy smile and a wide grin at times. She
even offered us a type of wine that she drinks regularly for better health, which
we politely declined. As we were leaving,
Mdm Chow Moi took the effort to shake everyone’s hand and thanked us for coming
to visit her. She waved us good bye,
with our handmade friendship bands still intact on her arm and stood by the
gate till we were out of sight. At that moment,
I really feel very touched and appreciated by her actions. These simple gestures
by her truly made my day!
Mdm Ho was another cheerful old lady too. We did some housework for her which included mopping
the floor and cleaning the fan which she was quite particular about. Mdm Ho had some difficulty walking due to her
weak knee, but she still made an effort to move to her sofa so that we will be
able to clean those areas. She also told us a little about her family and the
previous volunteers who came to visit her. In all, it was a good and enjoyable sharing
session with this joyful old lady!
This isn’t exactly my first time visiting the homes of the
elderly. However, each visit is definitely a
unique and different experience, because we will never know what stories the
elderly have got to share behind those smiles of theirs. Some are sad while some are happy. That is why, we as volunteers, play an important
to bring joy and happiness in their mundane lives. No doubt many of us do not expect anything in
return as we volunteer, yet acknowledging the smiles on the faces of the
elderly make me realised that I had in my own ways, done something to make their
lives a litter better. It is definitely more
blessed to give than to receive, and ultimately we will realise that the one
who receive and benefit the most is us- the volunteers. I will definitely visit these elderly again
with T.H.E seniors and I shall look forward to hearing their stories, seeing
their smiles and most importantly, feel their warmth.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller
Cheers,
Hazel Wang
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