A lesson for the young

When we entered the men’s quarters,the place was damp,with very little sunlight. Moving in further,we saw a man,who had no legs. He was filling up the balloons,as he said,for Christmas. That was the spirit we saw in the residents.

The women’s quarter were on the opposite side. The place was cleaner and sunnier. We sang songs with them. Some of the ladies were so old that they were hunchbacked with age or were on wheel-chairs. When they told us their problems,it was hard not to cry. They didn’t complain of the place,but were heartbroken for the reason they were there.

We left the place with heavier hearts. Didn’t their children think for a moment that they were the ones who had brought them up? We all left the place with a promise in our hearts that we will never do the same to our parents.
Thadar Tint Swe,XI D

A beautiful day
(Spent with old people)
Although in front of us,they did not show
But a wind of sadness in them does blow.
Yet,it was a ray of love which within them flows  
They had a soft and a compassionate touch
Love in their eyes was such.
They are filled with unconditional love
Following the path of peaceful dove.
They portrayed selfless love and care
Which in this world is very rare.  
They were free from all lust and greed
And were taking care of each other’s needs.
Like a tree,that gives shade
They are always there for each other’s aid.
They were simple and contended
And many of them were very talented.  
There was so much pain in their eyes
They were free from all hatred and life.
Although to us they were not very dear
But looking at their pain all of us were in tears. 
Yes,they are very old
But their heart is made up of real gold.
They have a heart so large and wide
For all of us spending time with them
Was a matter of pride.
I pray to God
To take their pain away.
Thank you God
For giving us a chance to make them a little happy today.  
Priyanka Ahuja,XI D

It was on December 23,2009 when I,my colleagues and a few students went to visit a home for destitute — Nirmal Hriday. This home is run under the aegis of Missionaries of Charity.

We could see many old people suffering from diseases like TB and cancer. There were people who had been disowned by their family members. We spoke with Sister Charmine and got to know a lot about the inmates. It was sad to see people living there because they are unwanted by their own family members.

In spite of all their miseries,it was overwhelming to see them gearing up for Christmas. There was a disabled man blowing up balloons. He wanted to decorate the whole place beautifully. Tears sprang to our eyes when we found out for ourselves that inmates living there were trying to find joy in every little activity.

The students interacted with them,gave them greeting cards,fruits,cakes and biscuits and made them feel good. It was a moving experience as the people there sang songs for us and made us a part of their celebrations. Our students had tears in their eyes when they spoke to them and were told about the problems that they were facing in their lives.

On our way back,we kept pondering over the irony of life. We are blessed with the best of everything in life but we are never happy. And there are those unfortunate people who don’t have anything yet are cheerful.
Manasi Verma,Teacher

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” These seem to be mere words for today’s generations. We realised this when we visited the Missionaries of Charity — a home for the dying destitute — along with our teachers and fellow mates. There were many old people who were left there by their children to live a life of pain and suffering. We talked to many of them and after having a word we felt that the words ‘Humanity is the object of worship’ is just pleasing to the ears and is not practised by anyone. There are many who still miss their children and want to go back to their own children and grandchildren. Some could not take the pain of being separated from their children and have become mentally ill. We met a man who had met with a train accident and had lost his ability to walk,and even after being handicapped,he was more concerned about his children and didn’t want to be a cause of their inconvenience,so he had left home and come there. We also met a lady called Shanti,whose husband abused her and she was forced to come here. We came to know many more such heartrending stories.
Naina Arora & Swati Narang,XI D

The Old age home that we visited on December 23 2009,was established in 1950.

We were indeed fortunate to be taken to such a place. It was an enriching experience for all of us. We spoke to the inmates there and learnt so much from them. By talking to them,we found out that some were happy while others missed their families. Each one of them tries to keep himself/herself busy through regular activities. Some inmates really looked depressed,while there were some who tried entertaining us. Some recalled their past memories while some lived in the present.

Talking to them we realised that there are so many people who do not have the most important thing in life — Love. We realised we have everything and are blessed with love and happiness yet we crave for more and crib for what we do not have. 
Shweta Sharma,XI D

Why do people abandon the old? Why do they have to be treated so shabbily? Can’t we look after our old relatives? Our visit to the old age home really made us think. We met and learnt so many important lessons.

We met a man who was mentally challenged. We tried talking to him but he couldn’t respond. He just kept making sounds as if he was trying to explain something to us. There was a lady called Usha who didn’t want to live there. She wanted to go back to her family. Unfortunately she didn’t realise that it was her own family who had abandoned her.

There was an old lady whose one hand was severed. She taught us that one can still be happy in spite of the problems in life — she cracked jokes and told us humorous stories. Being there with them was an incredible feeling. On our return we were all sombre. We kept thinking about ourselves and that how blessed we are.
Ritika Arora & Harleen Kaur,XI D

On December 23,2009,we got a chance to visit the Missionaries of Charity Home for Dying Destitutes. We took some greeting cards for Christmas and New Year and also distributed biscuits to the old people. One of the inmates there,Om Prakash,has been there for the past 30 years. Though he couldn’t speak properly but he managed to tell me that he is an educated man and loves reading novels. All of us liked the company of the old people. In fact,we even sang a few songs for them. We met some ladies — most were either physically handicapped or mentally challenged. It was very painful to see their condition and a few of our schoolmates even burst into tears,but they were very friendly to talk to. One of them sang a song for us. Strangely,a mentally disabled woman forced me to write her brother’s name on a sheet of paper and handed that to one of the boys. All the old ladies were busy either talking to each other or washing clothes. We were touched to see their plight. As school students we do go on various visits,picnics,excursions,but this was one visit that has changed our perception towards life.
Deeksha Ahuja & Mukul Rawal,XI D

December 23,2009,is a special day for all of us because we were taken to an old age home. This became a turning point in our lives. True,the old people all live together. Some even work for a living but there are some who are handicapped.

One of them has been staying here for the past 12 years. He said the Home was the best place for him to live. He had a defect in his leg and was so depressed that he kept saying he wanted to die. But he was also thankful that he was being treated by a specialist and that the people at the home really look after him very well. Still,his relatives weren’t there for him and that made him sad and makes him want end his life.

Another person Amar from Calcutta was working with the private sector. He has been living here for the past five years. Now he is handicapped and can’t work but finds pleasure in blowing up balloons for Christmas decorations. In his free time,he even stitches clothes.
Anmol Batra & Sakshi Sanghi,XI D

Old age homes are meant for senior citizens who are unable to stay with their families or are destitute and thus these homes provides a safe haven. On December 23,2009,we went to an old age home. Most of the inmates were grandparents whose spouses had expired; a few others were couples. Every person in that old age home had stories to share,the challenges,successes and pains they had faced in life. Each one there is a wealth of information,who have seen and experienced both the good and bad in life. They just expect a smile,respect and attachment from the world and not sympathy.

Soon it was time to part and it was with a heavy heart we said our goodbyes.
Mansi Batra,XI D

Nirmal Hriday,set up in the name of Mother Teresa,situated in Majnu ka Tila (North Campus) not only provides a refuge to the homeless but also food and medicines to those who actually need them. It is run by nuns who believe in the tenets preached by Mother Teresa.

The buildings were beautifully decorated for Christmas celebrations. We were welcomed by Sister Helencia. The people were happy to see the students and enthusiastically interacted with us.

While talking to these people many students were moved to tears and everybody listened to whatever they said with great interest and sensitivity. Beside the men’s quarters was a beautiful sprawling garden. They grow many different vegetables and fruits there. John,one of the inmates,was asked about how he spent his time. An active and upbeat person, he responded with great animation,“We all are friends here. We do the household work together. And then afterwards,everybody has a pack of cards in their hands.”

We all laughed. We were surprised to see the spark everyone had for life and how they divided the work and did everything together. Despite the happiness that they wanted to portray,the unhappiness and gloominess behind their smiles was very evident,they seemed to be a happy group but no amount of money can replace the love that we receive from our near and dear ones.

It was a learning experience for one and all. Most of all we learnt to value what we have and cherish the relationships we have.
Sanya Rawat,XI A