Community Involvement Prevents Being Lonely
People are too busy to take care of themselves! Our schedules are back-to-back with our “to do” list that has to be completed before we lay our heads down on our pillows each and every day. How did we get so busy that we can justify stopping by a fast food restaurant for our food; having a microwave in our kitchen that cuts cooking time down to minutes and seconds; have 2-3 cars sitting inside and outside of our garages for quick transportation; we can even purchase what we need over the Internet which is quick; we have cell phone where we can go and talk at the same time; we can send a message to someone while walking by texting just to mention a few convenient items we have that our parents did not have.
As many people enter the Baby Boomer stage in life, are they so busy that they can not help take care of their aging parents? Aging parents are left in their homes, apartments and trailers waiting for their kids to drop by and say “hi, do you need anything”? The loneliness sits in quickly when a person thinks they are forgotten. There is one thing you can certainly find time to do for your parents (if you are fortunate enough to still have them in your life and they live relatively close to you) you can help take them for a walk. Did you know that community involvement prevents loneliness?
Think about it for a minute.
When you take your parents for a walk they become a part of their neighborhood. They may see people they know and have the opportunity to say hello. They will notice new stores, restaurants, and gardens. They will have the opportunity to watch the trees and flowers change colors with the seasons. And mostly, they will feel like they are a part of their surroundings and will enjoy being a part of their community. And, walking is the most beneficial exercise a person can do for their health.
Why am I recommending you take your parents for a walk? It is because it is safer if they have a walking buddy. There are people in the world and in your parent’s community who do not love them as you do and may choose to harm them because of their age. Your parents protected you so many times when you were growing up and now it is our time to take care of our parents, in my opinion.
