In Santrock (2017, p. 352), Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl said that examining the finiteness of our existence and the certainty of death adds meaning to life, and if our life were not finite we could spend it doing whatever we pleased because our time would be unlimited.
When people reach a certain age they start thinking about their existence and what their life means. When I think what my purpose is, why I am here on earth and what am I supposed to be doing with my life, I know my purpose is to help our elders and I genuinely believe in this. I spend my childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood surrounded by older people and watched them getting older and older each year, reflecting on their past, getting weaker,
forgetful, …show more content…
Through her disease I started learning and discovering who I am, and what my purpose in life is. I knew I wanted to help other people in some way, be the reason they smile, bring them some kind of joy in life and ease their suffering. First I started volunteering at a senior center, few months later I found a job as a home health aide and for the first time since my grandmother I came in contact with a lady who was diagnosed with the early stage of
Alzheimer’s. I saw her going through the same symptoms as my grandmother and I was happy I could help her from what I have learned before. I finally realized my real purpose was taking care of people with dementia. I applied for a job at one of the dementia unit centers and after telling them my story, I was hired. Few months later I decided to start classes towards my nursing degree. People I work with are in the late stages of dementia, some of them are not even able to talk anymore but I always find something to make their day a little better, whether it would be looking at their old childhood photos, playing a game or watching an old 1965 movie ‘’Sound of Music’’. It brings back their memories and smile on their faces, and by helping them my heart is full of joy, fulfillment and meaning in