Myintzu Aye
Title: Resilience
Topics: Loss of Independence, Small Daily Moments of Life
When I think of my country, I am asking myself why life is so unfair. We do not choose to be born in a developing and poor country where there is conflict, natural disasters, and a military coup. We do not speak much about elderly people who are 10% of total population, who need social protection and support during crisis. A country where there is social welfare policy for elderly only on paper, many social services are not supported by the government, instead, community and family are important to older people’s life and wellbeing and vice versa. I did not grow up with grandparents as three passed away before I was even born and the other, my grandmother, had passed when I was very young. My childhood memory with grandmother was vague but I still remembered her smiles whenever I entered her room. She did smile at me although she could not speak. This is the first resiliency that I realized before I even noticed…. “Smile”.
When I moved out of my parents’ house, started to work as a medical intern, I encountered people like my grandmother who were in critical conditions but comforted the families with the same beautiful smiles.....
Then, I worked at a conflict area where people left their homes for their safety, becoming internally displaced persons “IDPs”, living at makeshift shelters, I came across with older persons in the groups who were still able to walk, run or who had been carried by their children when they fled, they enlightened my depressing days with their big smiles when I could not handle emotions hearing their stories. By the time, I am writing this, they have been staying in the IDP camps for 10 years or more. Few are fortunate enough to go back to their places of origin but the trauma of losing their own children, grandchildren, or relatives during conflict or disasters and the experiences of being victims of active firearms and deadly missiles throughout their lives. Whenever I get the chance to talk with them, they might tell me different stories what they have been through as if they are telling an exciting and adventurous story to their granddaughter. We might cry sometimes during conversation but they never forget to appreciate to different deities based on their religions for being alive. I learnt about their resiliency through their faiths, religions, and appreciations.
It is not uncommon that when you see a very old person selling things at small markets in Myanmar because they are financially supporting their family – children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. They are caretakers, storytellers, breadwinners, moreover, teachers and mentors at faith, cultures, and traditions for their families. For me, many of them from conflict settings have taught me about “resilience” through different ways.
