Personal Narrative for ERP

1b) Write about your relationship with an elder person, and reflect on what ageing means to you.

We all can think of people who have left such profound and indelible marks on our lives that it would be impossible for us to forget them. For me, that person was my grandfather. Whenever I think of him, I hear his animated voice, reminiscing about his life, from the kind of mischief that he and his friends were up to when they had nothing to do to the relaxed pace of daily life. He always had a story to tell, and I was always ready to listen. Since my grandfather grew up in a village, a far cry from the modern city, I always enjoyed listening to his vivid recollections of his activities and interactions with others. He used to talk about how he and his friends used to play marbles in the dusty roads, with him winning almost always because of his extraordinary skill. He used to talk about how it was like studying every evening under a lit candle, and the challenge of keeping the book just near enough so that he could read without burning the book. He used to talk about how after dinner everyone would gather and have a lively conversation. I would always find myself engrossed, fascinated with everything that he had to say.

For all his eccentricities and sometimes peculiar behaviors, my grandfather gave me several invaluable insights into the process of ageing. Ageing is an accumulation of knowledge, of experience, and most importantly, an understanding of life. With old age comes the time to slow down and think about what really matters. When we realize that nothing in life is permanent, we begin to treasure and cherish the small things in life and appreciate the people around us. Morning coffee making was nothing short of a ritual for my grandfather, who seemed to relish every aspect, from pouring the coffee beans into the pot to drinking the coffee. Not only that, if me or my other family members needed any help, he would put down whatever he was doing and be there for us. It was, to say the least, heartwarming.

However, I also believe that ageing also brings with it a sense of regret. When my grandfather and I used to talk about his past, I could not help but feel that there was tinge of disappointment in his words, a certain grief that had not been healed by time. As we grow old, we find ourselves thinking about what we could have done better. We find ourselves thinking that had we done things a bit differently in the past, our life would have been that much better. No one has ever led a perfect life, and these frustrations are all but an inexorable part of ageing that we simply have to accept.

Whatever ageing might bring, be it wisdom or regret, it never results in a lessening of enthusiasm and zest for life, a truth to which my grandfather was testament.