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http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/day?displayTab=born-in-1890&page=2
THE SPECIAL LEGACY OF WOMEN & GIRLS SHARING ACROSS
THE GENERATIONS IN FAMILIES
Born in 1890
Maysaloun Al-Amin hugs her great-great-great
granddaughter in her home on Mother's Day in Al-Dabbabiye village in Akkar,
northern Lebanon, Mar. 21, 2015. Maysaloun was born in 1890, and except
for being a little hard of hearing, she has no serious health issues and
attributes her longevity to a healthy lifestyle, with a diet heavy on
vegetables and milk.
Credit: REUTERS/Omar Ibrahim
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OLDER
WOMAN'S VOICE
I
am an older, an elderly, woman
The
lines on my face are etching of the seasons of my life.
I
am not pretty anymore. My hair is grey, my skin sagging,
In
a world fixated on youth and beauty.
I
am frailer now, more fragile, more often ill.
I
cannot afford all the medical care I need.
I
want to tell my children stories of my life.
But
they are busy, not so interested in my legacy.
I
am lonely. My husband, also old, has dementia.
I
feel isolated, ignored, forgotten.
What
has happened to the respect for elders,
To
the valuing of life from cradle to grave?
Where
is social justice to care for old women
And
provide for their special needs and rights?
I
am an older woman, but I am very much alive.
Hear
me, care about me, help me, treasure me.
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