A 65-year-old grandmother from Zhejiang Province is looking for a young girl who is willing to accompany her on an all-expense-paid trip to Hainan Province.
The offer, which has gone viral in the news, was posted via WeChat adding that any girl willing to come with her will have an iPhone 7 as a bonus. The girl has to be like her daughter--someone she can talk to and can take pictures with.
Although she has a family, the granny revealed she lives alone. Her husband is actively pursuing his passion for hiking thus is always away; while her only daughter has migrated overseas.
In 2015, China's growing elderly population was estimated to be at 220 million based on the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Loneliness in the elderly has become prevalent with the one-child policy of China, leaving no one to take care of their parents.
To ease their loneliness, elders, particularly the parents, can now sue their children if they feel being neglected under the Elder Rights Law, which was passed in 2012.
Respect for one's parents is one of the foundations of the Chinese culture; however, elders have been at that stage, too where they leave their parents and homes to pursue their dreams and careers.
Parents must know and understand this well enough to let their children go so they can spread their wings and be independent. Everyone feels lonely sometimes, even younger people, it's only a matter of how you manage it.
Aging is one of the stages of life, but it's not always easy. But rather than seeing it as a hindrance, one needs to accept it, find meaningful activities, and look at it as an opportunity to enjoy and live life to fullest.