At 1:30 p.m. on November 1, the "Happy Birthday" song floated out of the Thames Town Community Activity Room. The elderly people in the house clapped their hands and sang songs to celebrate the birthdays of the 9 "birthday stars" in the community who celebrated their birthdays that month.
"Teacher Zhang, the hair band on your head is so cute, I will take a picture of you." Before the start of the event, the "birthday stars" put on the hairbands written with the words "little cute" and "big handsome guy" and transformed into "old naughty boys", and the on-site staff quickly recorded these vivid moments with Patrick. "Since I was 80 years old, I have spent my birthday at the neighborhood committee once a year. Celebrating a birthday here is not the same as spending at home, where old friends get together, chat, sing, and have a lot of fun. Zhang Ziwang, 85, said.
According to the staff, since 2017, the Thames Town Neighborhood Committee has celebrated the collective birthday of the elderly over 60 years old who have a birthday in the town on the first Monday of each month. "There are so many 'birthday stars' in our town who have birthdays in November, there are 9 of them, let's wish them a happy birthday together, and ask them to talk about their wishes." Under the auspices of staff member Gu Huili, the "birthday stars" took turns to pick up the microphone and tell their wishes. "My wish is an early end to the epidemic." "My wish is to live a long life!" Haha, not only do I live a long life, everyone lives long together, together!"
One wish after another, one blessing after another, let the faces of the old people present be filled with a warm sun-like smile. "It's not my own birthday, but my old friends are happy together, and I look forward to my first Monday every month." Wu Deyuan, an old man at the scene, said. The collective birthday party has built a platform for the elderly in the town to communicate, adding a warm color to their elderly life. Gu Huili sighed: "Every month to buy cakes and prepare for the collective birthday party, it is as happy as celebrating the birthday of the elderly in our own family, we are happy in our hearts." ”
Text, image: Zhang Jie
Editor: Jia Li Zhou Yuwei