“She taught me what love should be in the midst of Europe. She taught me tricks of life. She taught me how to fight and now she taught me how to fight. She gave me a glimpses of what is it like to be 95 years old.”

I volunteered to help a home for the aged in northern Europe. I will not just mention the name of the institution. So when I started my volunteer work. Everything seems so boring and no life at all. No peers to laugh with and talked with during the long night.

As I went out from my room to watch the beautiful night scenario, I noticed somebody also gazing beyond the windows and appreciating the beauty within under the night sky. It is Nana, a 95 -year old spinster. As told by them, Nana waited for 77 long years for her lover to come, get her and fulfill his promise. Yet to no avail years just passed by with no news from her lover!

That night became the start of a talking relationship of Nana and me. She told me events, fears, hopes that I would never thought would exist. Nana gave me a glimpse of what is it like to be 95 years old. For 6 months, Nana’s plight to be found by her lover became mine.

Nana gave me insights on how it was to leave alone. Nana gave me an insight to share happiness, loneliest, pains and despairs with strangers not related to her. A boring life became so alive with giving hopes for old people like Nana. Now Nana and I still communicated through the home for the aged caretakers. I still do volunteer work for the home for the aged.

Take a look of interesting home for the aged.

• Hninzigone Home for the Aged in Myanmar has the mission to take care of the homeless and helpless old people in their place.

• Slovene Home for the Aged in Cleveland, Ohio provides medical, personal and social needs of the people in their care. Volunteers support this institution.

• St. Ann’s Home for the Aged in New Jersey is taking care of the aged people and their family since 1911. It is actually a Roman Catholic Nursing Home.