Old lady rescue.

There's always a wave of cynicism that washes over you each time you visit any charity home; most charity homes seem to be well-oiled machines (no matter how sorry the state that they're in), and it's natural to start doubting where your money ends up, and how deep the rabbit hole lies if certain homes are taking advantage of good-intentioned donors and volunteers.

Thankfully, the Selangor Family Aid Association looks genuine. On Tuesday, a small number of us returned here to make an overdue delivery of goods and money collected from the funds raised during the Charity Bazaar. Philanthropy feels good. It's that same sensation you get when you help a blind person cross the road, except multiplied tenfold. At the risk of sounding blindingly optimistic and incredibly naive, you know that you're making a small difference.

We came across this elderly woman at the home, who wanted a ride to Gohtong Jaya (near the base of Genting); we were headed straight back to KL. We settled towards giving her a ride to Petaling Street, where she'd find her way back home by catching a bus. Funnily enough, my initial reaction was to refuse her, but seeing how I wasn't driving, I didn't want to say anything. I suppose that offering her a ride felt like a burden to me, and a severe monkey wrench to our trip home (we had to enter KL instead of just using the highway to go straight back to our destination of Cheras).

I can't really say that it was an extreme test of our patience (she kept to herself and didn't really make much noise), and looking back, I don't really see why I felt so apprehensive having a stranger there with us. I suppose it was the perceived burden of having to perform the task in the first place that got to me; at the very least, we saw it through.

My grandmother was in paralysis for over a decade before she passed away; my uncle tended to her every need. When my grandmother went, my grandfather stopped bothering to survive and became unsound, thus requiring even more care. My maternal grandfather lost it as well; he was admitted into a nursing home and we discovered that he was suffering from Parkinson's, and maybe slight dimentia.

I'm pretty sure that I'll face the responsibility one day, when my parents eventually break down. And when it comes to my turn (you can't escape the inevitable), I can only hope that whoever's taking care of me would reciprocate what I did for them. It's only natural when it comes down the line.

If you're able to, you can help. Not just for the bragging rights (I have this mindset when it comes to Rotarians), but because you know that you were able to get your hands dirty and dig deep when it was needed. It doesn't matter how much you did, because you're bound to do even more in the future.

We'll probably mutter and grumble about how it's a pain...about how much of a burden it can be. But I feel wonked out about how sorry I feel for myself after I think of the burden that they have to carry on an everyday basis.

In the end, it's good to help.