As I travel through Lakeside's villages and towns, I continually notice the elderly residents involved in daily life. In Mexico the aged family members don't ordinarily leave their families to live in special homes for the elderly. Those who eventually need assistance in their daily routine find that help right at home, within the extended family.
(At Right:) An elderly San Juan Cosalá resident watches the movements of the caged canary in a carnival game of chance.
The lifestyles of the local elderly extend far beyond knitting, watching TV and games of gin. Great-grandfathers hold small pudgy hands as they walk with tiny tots to the corner and back. Grandmothers rock little ones and help with kitchen chores, while grandfathers weave new seats on chairs and light cooking fires.
When it comes to village social life, everyone participates—from the newest babes to oldsters nearing the century mark. I was amazed when I first watched the participants in a religious procession. I enjoyed the Indian dancers and bands, but I was simply amazed to see the vast number of old folks walking the two or three mile course, some with canes, others leaning on the arms of teenage grandchildren.
(At Left:) You’ll meet Dona Maria and several of her Nestipac neighbors in Phyllis Rauch’s Soul of Mexico article in the September 2010 issue of Living at Lake Chapala. Photo by Phyllis Rauch
When I described the scene to friends, we improvised the conversations we imagined would have taken place should one's elders back home have suggested participating in a similar event.
"Now Mother, you know there will be a huge crowd, and it will be hot and dusty. We'll just take the car and park at one of the intersections so you can see it all go by. Won't that be nice?"
"Dance? You want to dance in a procession? Dad, I have so much to do today I won't even have time to fix your lunch. And you want to dance? On the cobblestones? You'll break a hip."
"I really think it would be best if you just stayed at the home in the afternoons. If you insist on walking downtown every afternoon, we may have to look into that elderly daycare service.”
(Above:) It’s not unusual to see people of “the third age” as it is so wonderfully called in Mexico, walking, dancing, playing music in local processions. At right above is Dona Reina, another of Phyllis Rauch’s Nestipac neighbors from the upcoming Soul of Mexico article)
Since that first procession, I've spotted many of Lakeside's seasoned citizens not just attending, but actively participating in the celebrations, processions, and daily village events. Here’s a look at our Mexican neighbors in their golden years.
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(Left) A tiny older woman sits in the waning afternoon sun near her altar to the Virgin of Guadalupe. (Right) Mama Chuy, the matriarch of an Ajijic family marches home with enough flowers to decorate all of the family graves for Day of the Dead.
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(Left) A group of gentlemen gather every afternoon on their favorite plaza bench in the center of town. (Right) Nearby, their female counterparts exchange bits of daily news as they rest in the plaza sunshine.
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(Left) A grandmother joins friends to watch a San Juan Cosalá procession featuring elderly dancers. (Right) A local couple waits in the churchyard for the arrival of the bride, their great-niece.
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(Left) Proudly 87 years old, a woman unpacks the goods she will sell during an outdoor market. (Right) The peanut seller and his wife, the cascarones (confetti filled egg shells)seller, take a break in the plaza.
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Looking around, it's pretty obvious that the elderly in Mexico are cherished, revered and considered a viable part of the community. Precious few need the services of a home for the elderly, they are still an active and vital part of their extended family unit.
This attitude toward the elders is just another of the reasons we so value spending our retirement years here, where young people are taught the value of their elders and we, too, are treated with increasing respect and can learn from and share in the respectful attitudes and benefits.
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