Annual Gala 2018: Our Seniors, Our Blessings

Respected all,

Yes, both india and Canada are by far behind compare to the many other countries in respecting their seniors, which ultimately decide their life expectancy. It is very much surprising as Canada is known for its kindness and India for its respectful traditions towards its elders and teachers.

Now, either it can be left by circulating this new report or we can realize that it is on us to change anything we wish to in a society, as WE are the society.

Our Global Village Charitable Foundation, it’s donors, supporters and volunteers all know the value of our seniors in our lives and also our obligation and duties towards them. Thus we have been doing interactive projects from past many years with our seniors. Taking them out on a day or two days trip, listening and singing along folk songs with which they have countless memories attached to, getting them to dance a bit to keep them happy and physically healthy, doing their pedicure, meditating with them for their spiritual health, reading them stories or listening to their life stories to keep their memories fresh are a few things we have been doing.

Our Annual gala 2018 was in fact dedicated to our seniors- Our Seniors, Our Blessings. We promoted our leaning from life about seniors with a slogan -

**Walk, Talk and Treat**

WALKING with seniors can be hard as they walk slow and we are in the habit of rushing to get to one spot to the other to stay on pace with life. It can cause anxiousness in us and in result in them too. This is a one of the tough lesson to learn which is worth leaning to walk at the pace of our elderly parents and still be joyful doing so.

TALKING with them is the second message we shared. Although many scientific reports have published including the one most recently published by CNN that engaging with seniors give them long and healthier life, they positively contribute towards the family and burden on the medical system also is reduced, but we all know this all along. Let’s continue to put this knowledge in practice and spend time in talking and listening to our parents, our elders. They have wealth of knowledge and wisdom which is by far superior and valuable than any spiritual or yoga teacher can give you. All life lessons are not learn in a classroom, in fact great many are learnt from our seniors and the culture they are carrying forward.

Finally we suggested that TREATING our parents can be very rewarding too. Treat to a coffee or lunch date, taking them to an event such as the one we hold for them where they laugh and feel joy with their age mates, taking them to movies or other experiences are a few examples. They hardly need materialist things, what gives them joy is time with us and enjoying life outside the home even after their many physical and mental barriers.

For our last annual gala, we prepared a full 45 minutes long musical with them to exhibit wedding scenes and all related festivities by actively getting them to participate and engage in singing, dancing and doing the wedding rituals. We got mehandi done on their hands and during the gala, we also had professional photographers take their individual pictures.

We love them all dearly and we thank you all for trusting us with caring for your mothers for a few hours every so often. We know they are your cherished treasure, so are they for us too.