Friday, March 6, 2009

Happenings at Omashram

Parents are Assets
By Geeta Shankar, Managing Trustee, Omashram Trust.

We are now living in a very, very competitive society. Everyone appears to be scouting for shortcuts to success! It’s just by serving our parents with devotion and sincerity that one can hope for the grace of the Almighty.
A look into the Old Age Homes around Bangalore reveals the realities and a sad tale. One can see how the mentally battered, physically debilitated elderly are fending for themselves, after being left in the lurch, by their own offsprings. It is really unfortunate that these abondoned parents are the ones, responsible not only for giving birth but also instrumental in bringing them up and their educational and professional success, their social status, on the whole their children’s overall development. The parents would have pledged and sacrificed their prime years to protect their progeny with patience, love and care. Parents all along have provided them with best comforts, protected them against dangers, nursed them during their sickness. And then, they unconditionally gift away their beautiful product of their sweat and toil to their child’s partner, at the time of marriage.
So, in return for their selfless love, what these parents receive back is desertion and abuse from their children, especially when they are helpless in their old age!!
Should we forget that history repeats itself ? Don’t our children imbibe all our traits and qualities ? So before it is too late, let us fully seize every moment for making our parents happy !!
At Omashram we enjoy every moment of making other’s parents happy by providing care & succor and entertainment to the abandoned elderly ... In the evening of their lives!
Young and enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers spend a lot of their spare time with the elderly residents of Omashram and help break their isolation and bringing in a ray of sunshine in their lonely lives.
Here are some photos of the events like the Independence Day, Xmas Day, Republic Day, Valentine’s Day, Birthdays, etc. with gifts galore: