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Old woman sitting on a park bench.

Rich, dear life

Having a sense of meaning in life is known to boost our sense of well-being.  This is true especially for the elderly, since existential questions gain an increasingly important role with age.

  • Text Nina Venhe | Photos Mostphotos and Suvi-Maria Saarelainen
Saarelainen Suvi-Maria.
Suvi-Maria Saarelainen says that the interviews involved both laughter and tears. “Memories from being young in particular were a source of much joy among the interviewees.”
Old woman in portrait.
“I’m not afraid of death. But when the end comes, who will be there for me?”
Old man in portrait.
“My closest friends have already passed away and I don’t expect to make new ones... I wish I could find someone to talk to for a couple of hours each day.”
Old woman in portrait.
“We should get out of the house every now and then. I wouldn’t call this a prison, but sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in.”
Old woman in portrait.
“We had a wonderful marriage and youth and everything, even though he was wounded in the war. We were good friends to one another, but now is the time I need a friend the most. Why was he taken away?”
Old man in portrait.
“Younger people are too busy to meet me. We talk on the phone every day, but it's not the same.”