A Simple Act of Kindness: Reflections from Nanay's Nipa Hut
The narrative highlights the vital importance of honoring and supporting the elderly in our communities. It showcases how simple acts of compassion can transform lives, as seen in the touching visit to Nanay's home. The post also encourages readers to rethink caregiving, suggesting unconventional settings like spas as opportunities to show appreciation for our elders. Ultimately, it emphasizes empathy, kindness, and respect for the elderly as essential for creating a more compassionate society.
Karla Mitchell
2/10/20242 min read
It was an old, lonely nipa hut. In my memory, everything I saw in the area was in shades of brown with blobs of green. But it was mostly dry and brown. According to the villagers, an old woman lived there. She was alone, and she was suffering from arthritis.
Alone, struggling and in pain may be the three most common adjectives for describing the aged. After all the hard work they’ve done to survive and grow a family, these words haunt the elderly, and they live it until the relief of death comes.
The woman who answered our call was bent from hardship and gnarled from age and hard work. She welcomed us into her home. We called her, “Nanay” (mother).
The hut had an adjoining small kitchen with an old fire stove. Narrow steps led up to the door of the hut and the sleeping area. The dirt floor had been swept and the hut was tidy. Actually everything was tidy but sparse and worn with age.
I can’t remember our conversation, but I remember that we warmed water for her feet. We spoke to her while her feet were soaking. We dried her feet and prayed for her.
There was nothing much we could do for her because we were just passing through. I don’t know how much comfort she received. I can only hope that when we touched her feet, she felt love and care, and that when we prayed for her, her heart was strengthened.
In this age, we see spas as a place to relax ourselves. But it could also be a place where we can bring our lolos (grandfathers) and lolas (grandmothers), whether they are biologically related to us or not. Spoil them a little. Let their feet be touched and washed.
Perhaps, we can wash away some of the tiredness that life has thrown at them and soothe the aches and pains that life has scarred them with. The company will delightfully drive loneliness away and perhaps even warm their memories in lonely times.
Treat your lolos and lolas at MEZone. Show them you haven’t forgotten about them.
