Canaan/Bon Accord seniors celebrate Achievement Day

EMERLINE GORDON

The Canaan/Bon Accord Senior Citizen Activity Centre hosted its 9th annual Achievement Day last Wednesday at the compound in Bon Accord.

It was a very special and exciting day for members as they got the opportunity to display and sell some of their handmade crafts and other household items which they made during the year. Some of them also got the opportunity to showcase their talents in the form of poems, songs and some comedy.

The event commenced with an opening prayer followed by the singing of the national anthem. There were special performances by the host choir and students from the Technical Vocational School in Bon Accord.

Some of the items that were made and on display were kitchen towels, throw cushions, clothing, mitten-sets and lunch bags.

Present at the event were members from the Roxborough and Rockley Vale Senior Citizen centres. Also in attendance were representatives from the Tobago Association of The Elderly (TATE), the Technical Vocational School for persons with Disabilities and Yahweh group.

Pastor Cuthbert Gordon, in his address to the seniors encouraged them to live their lives purposefully and enjoyably despite the many challenges they may face at this phase of their lives.

“As you face the various challenges which may sometimes accompany the ageing process, such as loneliness, immobility and sometimes pains, you might be tempted to give up, but you need to be resilient and learn how to encourage yourself and be happy. "The senior years do not have to be a boring one for you but a time where you can explore new horizons and take advantage of all the modern-day technology that are available to you. This is also a time when you are wiser and can make better choices in your life. Life can have significance and be enjoyed instead of endured.

"One of the ways that you can be happy is by giving back to society. It is only when you take the attention off yourself and try reaching out to someone else will you find real happiness and purpose in your life,” said Gordon.

He added, “There may also be times when you become increasingly haunted by thoughts of your own mortality, in such cases you need to remember to set your house in order. This can be done firstly by ensuring that you prepare a will and secondly by submitting yourselves to God.”