It's a pity that we are blinded by the luxury of life, the family, friends, business, work, studies and so on that we are not able to see beyond what surrounds us. We often take our way of life for granted and many times do not realize how lucky we are to live the way we live. We assume that life for everyone is all about work, study and making lots of money. I want to remind you my dear readers that all the things we are labouring to acquire in our lifetime will be left here on earth just the same way we came to this world without them. For I believe that this earthly life is but a sojourn.

So why don't you find time to think about the disadvantaged, handicapped, old aged, orphans and so many other people living in misery, hopelessness and seclusion from society? These are people who have been marginalized and oppressed by society as though they are not human beings just like any of us and often their plight even goes unnoticed by the authorities.

My eyes were opened about the plight of a certain section of our society when I visited friends in need society, an old people's home off Queen's road in Bangalore last December just a few days before Christmas. We went in a group from Accenture to visit this home and as we entered we were welcomed by smiles of the old people there. Many of them were undergoing lonely, miserable and hopeless times in their lives while others were suffering from old age ailments and other complications and have been abandoned by their family members. Support for the aged in any way is very essential in our society because in the twilight years, life is filled with health, physical and emotional problems.

I felt tears in my eyes as I watched from a distance one old woman collapsing as she struggled to come down stairs to meet with us. I hurried to help her up and took her by the hand slowly to the meeting place where all the others were gathered. We spent time with them, singing to them Christmas songs and playing games with them and later we presented our gifts to them. As we left the venue I realized that more than just gifts and money, these old people needed love and companionship. These are people whose livelihood is solely based on love and therefore denying them this much needed love is like sentencing them to life long misery. I felt compelled to return and spend more time with them because I knew then that even I may go through this episode in life. I want to urge you dear reader to spare some time from your busy schedules and show some love, compassion and respect to our elders and senior citizens in society and it shouldn't matter whether they are your relatives or not. Bishop T.D Jakes had this to say; 'by giving due respect to elders, one commands affection and by giving due affection to youngsters one commands respect'.