Lonely elders give a sad feeling

Comment on "Don't leave our lonely elders to die in the dark" (China Daily, Oct 29)

I feel sad after reading such reports. What can we do? Since most young people in China, especially those born in the 1980s and 1990s, have to make a living in big or coastal cities, they have to leave their aged parents behind in the countryside or small cities.

After the reform and opening-up were introduced, many young parents rushed to cities to earn more money. As a result, they left their children in the care of grandparents or other relatives. This cycle reversed when the left-behind children grew up and had to leave home to make a living and thus had to leave their parents behind. No wonder, we see the mad rush of people to return home for the annual family get-together during Spring Festival.