My parents fled the aftermath of communism when I was very young. The country in which I live now generously took us in and I grew up in it, always well protected. But only when I became an adult and I could learn about the rest of the world did I realize how much luck and privilege I had growing up here, in one of the finest nations on earth. I became deeply grateful to all the men and women who built and maintained this country that gave me as a young girl all I needed to flourish and feel safe. So I wanted to give at least a bit back by visiting residents in a retirement home close by. A few years ago, every two weeks I came to their Sunday afternoon open hours, where everybody could join in for games and chatting (before Covid hit!).
I met some fabulous senior citizens there, all polite and sweet: A retired police officer that protected his fellow citizens out in the streets and traffic for decades; a heating engineer who had his own little company and throughout his career made sure that thousands of homes got it warm in winter times; a well spoken academic that had nobody left of his family visiting him…