Editorial: Gift of the elderly Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash February 11, 2021
There are few more heartwarming scenes than grandparents hugging their grandkids, moments of unconditional love expressed in an embrace between old and young.
Unfortunately, it’s not been a scene we have seen as often in the past year thanks to the pandemic, but Pope Francis has thankfully wrapped his arms around the family once again with his declaration of a World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly to be celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of July.
It couldn’t have come at a better time, when the world’s older populations have been ravaged by a virus that has killed so many and often meant our senior citizens were isolated from family and loved ones. The tragedy of this pandemic has made us all more aware of the value of our older population and our responsibility to care and nurture that connection between generations.