Alone But Not Lonely
Updated: Jan 11
I’m from Kenya and I came to the US to take care of my 94 yo father.
Every other year, I would come to the US to help my brother take care of our 94 yo father. Taking care of the elderly is very hard, it takes a toll on you both physically and mentally. But I don’t mind , because he’s my father, it’s part of my duty, but more than anything, I’m rejoice that my father is still here with me and the family. We just celebrated his 94 birthday a few days ago….I was really really happy that day, bc we were celebrating our father’s life. It was such a happy day!
It’s no easy task taking care of our elder parents…but it’s doable! There are ways to overcome some of the struggles and even find joys while doing all these! I’ve been thinking in the last few weeks how to share my struggles and my experiences with other caretakers out there, to give them hope and tell them that we can do it, but I just don’t know where or how to start. Then out of the blue, I woke up this morning and asked my sister-in-law to take me to Be-em’s , I love this place. I don’t drive, so whenever I have a chance, I always ask for a ride here and order my favorite dish : Chicken and shrimp hibachi. Sometimes I sit here for hours while she ran errands. This is my ‘Me Time’…my one day off a month that I can live and do what I want and somehow I always found my way to Be-em …or on months that I don’t have much money left, I would go to the pond (bc it’s free) and just pack some food while enjoying my alone time. Do you know being alone is different than being lonely? I’m not lonely, I just love the alone time with just myself, it’s a time and a space for reflection. Thanks for the green tea…thanks for listening…thanks for showing up out of the blue and sharing my story!
“Do you know being alone is different than being lonely? I’m not lonely, I just love the alone time with just myself, it’s a time and a space for reflection.”
P.S I met Ms. Dilshad when I dropped off some green tea at her table. Not sure how it all started, but we started talking and really hit it off. Her phone broke that day, so she asked if I could take a pic of her and Ms. Lola at the Dollar Tree store right next door …. Ms.Lola’s holiday outfits made her really happy and she loved it too much not to capture this fond memory before heading back home to Kenya next month. Good luck and safe trip Ms. Dilshad , we’ll see you soon! 🥰