Describing old age as the age of loneliness has become a common saying in the times in which we live. It is true that our last life stage is a very difficult one, not only because most families end up divided, with children going to seek their fortune in other countries, but because many couples end the journey they have shared. This is also the time when many of us contract diseases that prevent us from enjoying a regular social life. Old age for my paternal grandmother, mother of nine children of whom only one, my father, emigrated from Italy to Argentina, was different. The other eight would never have thought of leaving the beach near Rimini where they had been born and lived all their lives. My life is different from hers because, like many others, I only have one child. This situation led me to realize very early on that the meaning of the word loneliness would be for me very different from my grandmother Gemma’s. Undoubtedly, nowadays life difficulties are of another kind; from a very young age we realize that human relationships are corrupted by competition and envy. That is why we need to get ready for what awaits us at the most complex stage of our lives: absence and loneliness. But how might we prepare ourselves for our children’s absence and the loneliness of our homes? The only way to avoid the emptiness that gradually seeps into our lives without us realizing it is to take refuge in the good work we have done during the years lived. Having lived life in the right way, raising our children responsibly, working conscientiously, being honest and being there for all those who needed us is our golden armor. Reaching old age with a soul full of pride for a task well done is the only thought that will fill our homes with serenity, chasing away loneliness, and helping us overcome the anxiety of facing what awaits us.
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