Nothing makes an elderly person happier than feeling loved, appreciated and relevant. When those sentiments come from people who came generations after them–their grandchildren, for example–the feeling is extra special.
Grandparents of Form One students of Fatima College, Port-of-Spain, experienced just this when they attended Appreciating the Old Time Days, a talent show and exhibition put together by their grandchildren especially for them.
Elegantly dressed and equipped with their camera phones and camcorders (yes, although old, they were tech-savvy), the honoured guests proudly looked on as their grandsons recited poems about them, performed skits, and serenaded them with instrumental pieces and songs –of course Richard "Nappy" Mayers' Old Time Days, performed by the Form One choir, was the highlight of the show.
Using vintage household items, including the magical blue soap, antique telephones, ice-cream makers, flat irons, mincers, a Jaffle iron pressure toaster and a record player, the students treated their beloved to a heavy dose of nostalgia.
Fr Gregory Augustine, principal of the college, said the event was to show appreciation to the older generation.
"No society can move in any way foward if we do not show regard, respect, and reverence to those who went before us and those who are still very active in the lives of their children and grandchildren."
He added the event was aimed at strengthening family relationships, an eternal value needed in society.
"This is what we stand for here at this college. If we do not have those relationships, we are no where and we are nobody."
In society, he said, there were many disconnects in family life and in some cases this spiralled out of control.
"Many people become angry and lash out because they aren't connected to others, the significant others, the parents, and the wider community. It's a simple equation.
The solution to our nation's problems is simple, it's to build that communal life that people once knew. It's not something that one has to import and this is an effort in that regard."
Saying grandparents were very central to the students' lives, Augustine said, "It's an opportunity for them (the students) to say thank you for what their grandparents gave to their parents and what they're giving to them."
The yearly event, he said, was part of the form one curriculum and geared toward character-building.