Published on: October 4, 2026

They say they are old.
They say they no longer hold
the strength they once carried,
the speed with which they walked,
the things they once could do.

But do you know…
There lies a heart
that is still young-
still longing,
still loving,
still dreaming,
still waiting to be heard.

Every fold carries
an untold burden.
Every wrinkle bears witness
to an unfolded dream.
Every line upon the face
has a story to tell-
if only you have
an ear to hear.

There lies a mind
that struggles to accommodate
the changing world-
new words,
new ways,
new technologies,
new rules
in a world that once
made perfect sense.

It struggles to incorporate them,
and sometimes fails
to recall what it once knew.

But have you ever wondered why?

Because the corridors of their minds already hold a lifetime of memories-

Faces once loved,
Places once lived,
Dreams once cherished,
Losses silently endured,
Victories quietly celebrated,
and
Goodbyes
never completely forgotten.

Their hands may tremble.
Their steps may slow.
Their eyes may need more light.
Their ears may need
a little more patience.

But their need to be heard
has not diminished.
Their need to belong
has not aged.
Their need for dignity
has no expiry date.

Do not see them as old.
See in them a child
who once ran barefoot.
See the young heart
that once dared to dream.
See the hands
that built, nurtured and
served,

When they forget your name,
remember theirs.
When they walk slowly,
walk beside them.
When they struggle
to understand the new world,
lend them your patience.
And when their voices
become soft,
listen a little more closely.

For ageing is not
the fading of a life.
It is a life
slowly turning its pages.
And perhaps
what an older person needs most
is not merely more years—
but the assurance
that they still matter.
Because they are not
“old people.”
They are people
who have lived long…!

Their wrinkles
carry stories,
Their silences
carry memories,
Their hearts
still hold dreams,
Their hands, though trembling
are wide open-
to embrace you
and me.

---

---