During the Christmas season, I was given the opportunity to accompany a group of elderly to Changi Airport. Christmas is a special occasion for me. It is a season of joyful giving and love. I thought it would be nice to spend some time doing some voluntary work to spread the festive joy. Before going for the outing, I did some casual reading on the new Terminal 3 as I wanted to equip myself with some knowledge to share with the elderly.
 
At Bright Vision Hospital, I spoke with a long-term volunteer briefly. He enjoyed volunteering for charities. He said that he found life more meaningful as he volunteered. There are many things one can learn from helping out. Despite being a volunteer at the Hospital for only a brief period of time, I understood what he meant. Indeed, I have learnt many several life lessons as I interacted with the elderly and patients.
The elderly were wheeled out of their wards with wide smiles on their faces. They were dressed up in their best and were excited about the trip. I tried to make small talk with an Indian elderly woman but she could not understand me. Nevertheless, her excitement was evident in her smile.

The elderly enjoyed the trip tremendously. It was not because I got to tell them all about the marvelous architecture of Terminal 3. Surprisingly, it was the meal segment that excited them the most. The elderly were thrilled to be having their meals at the food court. They requested for rice, noodles, tea, coffee and many different types of dishes. I had fish ball noodles beside Mr. Choong and could sense him eyeing my noodles so I decided to share some with him. He could not sit still as some of us went off to order food for them. He finished his rice, had some of my noodles and drank two cups of a mixture of tea and coffee.

The elderly looked satisfied and blissful as we waited for the buses to take us back. I realized that it only took a short walk at the airport and a simple meal to make them happy.

When we arrived at the hospital, I wheeled the Indian lady I spoke to earlier back to her ward. She smiled and held my hand for awhile before saying goodbye to me. That gesture touched me deeply. The other seniors thanked and waved at us as we left the wards.

It was a simple day for me as compared to socializing with my friends and studying at home. It was less tiring and did not take much effort on my part. However, it brought tremendous joy to those seniors. Indeed, a small deed on our part goes a long way. I also learnt another life lesson; to appreciate what I have and to be thankful every day.

By Liau Yin Ting, Bright Vision Hospital Befriender