Why should caring for an older person include noticing whom they miss?

Having someone take care of daily needs and having concerns in one’s heart are different matters. When caring about an older person, look beyond whether food and accommodation are arranged. You can also listen to whom they have been thinking about lately and whom they hope to see.

We discussed a news story about a hundred-year-old man in a nursing home who wanted to reunite with his daughter far away for his birthday. He was very sad because they could not meet. Later, someone organized a card-sending activity, and blessings from many strangers made him happy. This was a news story we read at the time, not a person I cared for myself.

From this story, Miao Nian reflected that as people reach a very advanced age, familiar friends and relatives may pass away one after another, and that loneliness deserves understanding. This was her reflection on the story, not a claim that every older person necessarily feels this way.

I also used the story to remind us to treasure the time we can still spend with family. Work, distance, or other difficulties may prevent us from meeting every time, but we can still show care through phone or video calls within our means. Letting someone know they are remembered and feel love and blessings is an important part of being together too.