Snowbirds Living in the Philippines : Feeling Lonely and Forgotten at 82 Years Old

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Feeling Lonely and Forgotten at 82 Years Old

I was reading this in My Facebook page the other day. I feel lucky I have still someone I can call if I needed something while living here in my Gilded Cage at THD and I do not live in a Nursing Home. This lady is only 82 years old and now stranded in a nursing home. What a shame to her children and grandchildren not to take care of their mother or grandmother.

I am 82 years old, 4 children, 11 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren and a 11 x 11 room in a nursing home where they left me stranded. 

I no longer have my house or my beloved things, but I do have someone who fixes my room, makes my food and bed, takes my blood pressure and weighs me. 

I no longer have the laughter of my grandchildren, seeing them grow, hug each other and fight; some come to see me every 15 days; others, every three or four months; others, never... 

I no longer make croquettes, or deviled eggs, or minced meat curls, or knit, or crochet. 

I still have a hobby of doing Sudoku that is somewhat entertaining. 

 I don't know how long I will have left, but I must get used to this loneliness; I go to occupational therapy and help those who are worse off than me as much as I can, although I don't want to get too close. They disappear frequently. 

They say that life gets longer and longer.  So that?  When I'm alone, I can look at photos of my family and some souvenirs from home that I brought back.  And that's all. 

I hope that the next generations see that the family is formed to have a tomorrow (with the children) and give back to our parents the time they gave us when raising us.

"Taking care of someone who has already taken care of us is the greatest honor."   

Meanwhile, here are the luxury of Life: 

Lastly,  Enjoy these beautiful Trumpet Flowers from the Gardens of THD

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Joys of Retirement

I have been retired from USFDA since 2002. At first, I feel I have lost my identity as an individual or have lost my contribution to society. However, within a few weeks all these feelings were gone. It started when my wife and I started baby sitting one of our grandchildren. As some economics professor states: "Your children are your capital investments, but your grandchildren are your profits. That is why you love your grandchildren more than your children". I really agree with the statement. Retirement also gives you lots of time to do things you like to do, such as your hobbies and of course travel. In my case, I turned my hobby of gardening and landscaping into a small business in the Philippines. This endeavor was planned about five years before 2002. That year my wife and I started construction of our retirement home in Boac, Marinduque , Philippines. The next year we built a beach house, followed by a Conference Hall two years later. Needless to say, planning and executing the landscaping was a challenge and very enjoyable. With the help of local labor, I not only enjoy the time gardening and landscaping, but also help improved the economic situation of the province by providing work and jobs to the local residents. With plenty of time, I have engaged into two specific activities as follows: First, I created a website for my small business. By trial and error, I created and design the website, www.chateaudumer.com I have never been a computer nerd or expert. But with plenty of time and patience, the fruits of my labor could be enjoyed if you visit the website above. The second activity, I have not done before was to utilize on-line activities, such as shopping, paying bills ( save you stamps) and playing computer games in the Internet. I really enjoyed playing duplicate bridge on line. You play with players all over the world and can chat in between games. But be careful, you are not spending too much time in the computer. It is very addictive. With a lots of time, my wife and I devoted more time on our favorite humanitarian project. For the last 15 years, we have been involved with medical mission to the province of Marinduque. For details please visit the website: www.marinduqueinternational.org As a summary, the joy one gets on retirement is very specific for an individual. Some enjoy their free time by learning new activities, getting involved with humanitarian projects or spending more time with their grandchildren. Others hate it, since they missed their former jobs and co-workers. Others with no children still enjoy retirement by traveling, turning their hobbies into business or more community involvement. Of course those that retire and hate it, is believe to die earlier than those that enjoy their retirement years. So, plan your retirement as early as you can. The happier you are on retirement, the longer you will live.