I believe we all have a purpose in life and that as we get older, we are continuously guided toward fulfilling our true callings.

 

My own purpose, I believe, is to serve the Jamat. Through our institutions, I have been graced with several opportunities to do just that — share my skills, my knowledge and to devote my time to the Jamat.

 

Teaching English to senior citizens in the Ismaili community is one such opportunity.

 

Together, the elders of our Jamat form a large repository of knowledge and wisdom, but many still consider learning English a debilitating obstacle.

 

This program, however, showed the students’ true resilience. Though we encountered a few challenges at first, especially with grammar, the elders of our Jamat practiced speaking in English, and worked tirelessly to successfully master another language.

 

Modern medicine and technology may have increased our life expectancy, but how can we add life to those years? Through this program, along with other teachers, I was able to help encourage continuous learning to keep the mind fresh and enhance the quality of life of some of our Jamati elders.

 

From what I’ve seen, this program has also helped the students better appreciate that “aging is not lost youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength,” a powerful philosophy from American writer and women’s activist, Betty Friedan.