Faced with the challenges of declining memory and hearing, 93-year-old Mr He Anxun chose to keep track of life and communicate through writing. Written on the cover of his notebook, "Imprints of the Years, " he carefully pasted a hand-written schedule of Chung Wah Community Care (CWCC) activities — his most important engagements.
Recently, Mr He added an extra day at CWCC's Willetton Community Hub to his schedule, and in red ink, he joyfully wrote: "Great! I can now go to Chung Wah three days a week!"
Listening to the news and exercising are Mr He's favourite activities. CWCC's seminars cover various topics, and the community news keeps him updated with current affairs. He considers this information his mental nourishment and says that CWCC helps him keep up with the times. The fitness sessions remind him of the exercises led by his teacher during his childhood. Reflecting on this, he said, "Exercising under the guidance of CWCC staff makes me feel like a child still growing."
When discussing his experiences at the community hub, Mr He was charged with emotions. "At CWCC, I feel young again," he said, as tears quietly fell onto his notebook. He wrote: "These are tears of joy. I never imagined what my ideal later years would look like. I only took life one day at a time, never expecting it to be so fulfilling and happy. Just like I never imagined going to university, getting married, or moving abroad… It's my great fortune to have found CWCC."
Mr He often jokes about not giving in to old age. A former electrical engineer, he has led a life rich in experiences. On the one hand, he relies on these memories to stave off the effects of aging, and on the other, he continues creating new ones at CWCC: reuniting with friends at the Longevity Banquet, learning to make traditional zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival… Mr He firmly wrote in his notebook: "I have the confidence to live to 100!"
Mr He summarises his daily life: "Working and walking to stave off dementia, reading and writing to fill the twilight years." This is his life philosophy, and it aligns with his family's wishes for him. They often tell him, "All you need to do is eat, sleep, and have fun!" Mr He explained that "fun" refers to participating in activities at the CWCC community hub—his greatest source of joy.
Mr He describes his time at CWCC like this: "In old age, I have found a home; in a foreign land, I have found family." Since joining CWCC, he feels a sense of belonging, a home beyond his own, a connection with a larger community. With deep affection, he wrote: "Thanks to Chung Wah, I feel like a leaf that has found its branch, a tree that has rediscovered its roots."
For seniors like Mr He, CWCC has built a bridge that reconnects them with society, providing a stage for them to rediscover their self-worth. With CWCC's care, every cherished memory and new experience continues to be created and celebrated.
