In Stanwood and elsewhere in the U.S., many elderly people attach a great deal of importance to Veterans Day, or at least far more than do younger people. Senior home care professionals are always aware that Veterans Day pops up early in November, and will generally watch their charges for any signs of unusual feelings or activities that might be associated with the day. There are quite a few reasons why Veterans Day might have special significance for elderly persons, and why they might be feeling something unusual on that particular day. As you prepare to celebrate Veterans Day, keep in mind that it might have much more relevance and significance to your senior loved one.
They May Have Lost a Veteran
Some elderly people have actually lost their life partner to wartime action, or their loved one may have been severely injured in combat. When Veterans Day rolls around each year, it becomes a time for remembering the loss of that loved one, and it might seem like the most important day of the year to a senior. Keep in mind that at some point in the past, your loved one may have had their whole life revolve around their partner, and then that was taken away from them.
Losing a loved one is traumatic in any case, but to have one die in the course of military action – usually at a young age – just seems to have a greater impact on a person. If your surviving senior loved one seems to attach special significance to this holiday, it may be because they lost someone dear to them while they were serving their country. Each year at this time, they will be reminded of that loss and of the many things they loved about their partner.
A Reminder of Happier Times
If your senior had a life partner who was in military service and has since passed on, each new Veterans Day will be a reminder of the happy existence they once had together. Even if it wasn’t an idyllic existence, the passage of time makes it seem so, and your loved one will probably only remember the good times, not the bad ones. It will therefore be very important for your senior loved one to hold on to the holiday each time it comes around because that’s a way of reconnecting with the past, and with the happy life they once led with their partner.
Even if your parent is fairly happy with their current life, it won’t be the same as what they once had with a much-loved spouse, and those times will always seem special. In fact, this might be a good time for you to reminisce with your parent about those times, by browsing through old photographs and keepsakes. Any memorabilia you’ve accumulated over the years might help bring back all those happy and fulfilling memories.
Bridging The Generations
Veterans Day is actually a great way of bridging the events of the past with current events and even looking out into the future. When young people of today honor the veterans of the past, some of whom actually died serving their country, it has a way of bringing us all together. It shows us that there is a common bond between us all and that we have the same values about life, even though we can be vastly different people and can have widely different ages.
Your senior parent may not exactly be thinking about bridging the generation gap, but chances are they will at least be aware that Veterans Day is a time when all family members and people of all ages can unite in honoring those who served. It is a major commitment to sacrifice several years of your life to serve your country, so no one does this lightly. Your parent may be recognizing that we are all able to enjoy the kind of lifestyle we have because of those who fought to preserve this way of life in the past.
Children And The Future
While your elderly loved one is thinking about how their veteran partner served the U.S. in the past, they might also be thinking about how it has paved the way for youngsters of today to continue the family line and to keep alive family tradition. If there are any youngsters in your household, they will be living reminders of hope for the future, and how that is only possible because of the sacrifices made by veterans in the past. The importance of Veterans Day itself may literally be traceable to the fact that veterans have been the backbone of this country since its inception, and that they will continue to make our way of life viable well into the future.