Two years ago, you were happy and whole. You had a plan for life — start a new business, get involved in the Parent-teacher Association, teach your sons how to ride bicycles, spend as much time with your friends and parents as possible, watch your children mature and grow old with your husband. You were a “glass half full” person who often felt so much joy. You always looked forward, smiled and danced.

Two years ago, on December 14, 2012, the world changed and you changed with it. Disturbed young men with access to high-powered guns went to your sons’ school and killed six educators and twenty first-graders. Your eldest son Jake survived, but was changed by the day he discovered some monsters are real. He describes it as the day “when evils came to my school.” Your youngest son, Dylan, whom you thought of as a pure love, with his charming eyes and infectious giggle(微笑)，was killed. Shot multiple times, he died instantly in the arms of his special-education assistant who also died while trying to protect him.

The tragedy changed all your life, not only because of losing your child, but because of the hole inside you that can never be filled. Your eldest son has been forced to grow up too fast because of the loss of his brother. The pain has altered the lines on your husband’s face. The way you look at the world has changed. Your interactions with friends and family seem foreign.

… …

But the things have moved on with hopefulness. You are now someone far more realistic. You control your feelings because you fear if you really let it out, you would never recover. It would destroy you. You know what you should do is try everything to protect more children. You’re fighting a good fight, what the whole society really needs.

With love,

Nicole Hockley, Dylan’s mom

New research has found caring for grandchildren can make a difference to seniors. Publishing their findings in the journal Aging & Mental Health, a team of experts from Germany and the U.K. reviewed data from 28 studies which included 191, 652 adults from 21 countries.

People aged 60 or above who cared for their grandchildren for an average of 12 hours a week were 60% less likely to experience loneliness than non-caregivers, one of the reviewed studies found. Five other studies, out of a total of seven, also produced data showing a negative connection between loneliness and care-giving for grandchildren. What’s more, five out of six reviewed studies found seniors who volunteered in their communities felt less lonely than those who didn’t.

“This is the first review of its kind to look into the relationship between care-giving, volunteering, and loneliness in old people,” co-author Dr. Matthew Prina said. “Further research could help find the best dose (剂量) of caring for grandchildren. But valuing their unpaid activities will likely play an important role in their well-being. We also looked at studies that focused on care-giving for partners with serious health conditions. In those cases, seniors reported having higher levels of loneliness. This kind of care-giving may bed a lonely experience when there is lack of support from others.”

Experts further explained that when caring for children, older adults tend to be more drawn into society, through things like school, play dates and other social events. For example, seniors can actively join in different activities and continuously learn things from a younger generation.

While not everyone has young children in their life, volunteering opportunities also work. Now one group called Eldera is bringing the two concepts together. It focuses on connecting generations by pairing experienced adults aged 60 or above with children across the world. The wisdom of the elders, with years of experience, knowledge and common sense, is the most valuable resource for the younger generation. It can help them imagine a better future.

My family had moved into a new house with big back yard. For some time, my older brother and I had been expecting a family pet. Finally, we managed to persuade our parents that the time had come for keeping one.

Though my brother and I were of like minds about the goal of having a family member, what exactly it meant to each of us was entirely different. I was excited and happy when my parents brought home the dog, Snoopy. Despite the fun of playing with him，I knew it was really more my brother’s pet than mine. I really, really wanted a cat! I tried to show my joy for getting a pet while trying to hide my disappointment that he wasn’t a cat. My parents must have known how I was feeling because they suggested that I could make a wish about it.

Running to my bedroom, I made a wish sincerely that I would have a cat. Not more than a minute or two passed when I heard a faint scratching sound(轻微的抓挠声) coming from the front door. Curious, I stood up, approaching the open front door. There, sitting calmly before me was a large, white cat.

I was absolutely amazed! I went close to the white cat, and it began walking towards me. I gathered his mass into my arms and then I went into the back yard where my parents and brother were playing with Snoopy. So, Snowball joined our household that day, too.

Although my parents always denied having anything to do with Snowball's arrival, I guessed they might have. However, even if they did somehow arrange for him to appear at the front door at the very moment when I was making a wish for a cat, it would not reduce the miracle of a cat doing in my life.