Reach out to elders in Mat-Su community

McKenna Jagger

Young Voices

On Dec. 22, my friends and I joined together to sing Christmas carols to the elderly people at Morning Star in Palmer.

It was amazing watching their faces light up as they remembered the songs. Some even joined in on occasion. After singing for about a half hour, we all went around to wish them a Merry Christmas. It is evident to me now, more than ever, that all these people want is a friend.

All they want is someone to share their stories with, someone who will give of themselves. They are people, too, who deserve what we all deserve — love, compassion and friendship. We were only there for a half hour, but it still brought joy to those people.

It seems the only time we ever think about the elderly in our community is during the holidays, but they are there every single day, forgotten, until the next holiday.

Why does it seem that America is the only country where we put the elders of our communities in homes and forget about them? I have experienced firsthand how the elders in our communities are treated, and they deserve better.

I went around to say "hello" to them or to talk to them for a couple of minutes, but that is not enough. They do not want our sympathy, just companionship, someone to share their life with, someone who will listen.

Recently on "NBC Nightly News" with Peter Jennings there was a story about a group of college students which was paired up with a group of elderly people who never had the chance to go to college.

The college students were learning what it was like to be elderly and not be able to do everything for themselves. The elderly people were learning what it was like to be college students. Some of the pairs were interviewed and they all agreed they could talk to each other without feeling as if they had to hold back.

Age was irrelevant, because each individual had unique experiences to share. The college students taught the elderly how to use new technology, such as computers. The elderly shared their lives and experiences (what we call history) with the college students.

There is more to history than just knowing the dates. What is important about history is the way events changed people's lives, influencing their thoughts or actions. There is more to gain from talking to an elderly person about history than just reading a history book. They lived through what we know as history; but to them, it's their memories.

I feel that if we truly are a compassionate people we would be more willing to take care of our own, to help preserve a way of life. No one can live forever, but if we remember what we have learned or how we have changed because of a half-hour visit, then life lessons will live forever.

On Friday, there were only eight of us. Although I wish more of us had showed up, it may not have been so meaningful to me if there had been a bigger group. To some, it might have just been something to do, but to me it put meaning into my life. I am forever changed because of this experience.

McKenna M. Jagger is a 15-year-old Colony High School sophomore.