SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

Many of them we may not get to know, but some we get to know over the years of our lives.

One such person who is open and very capable of feeling for his fellow man is Marijan Smrdelj, a resident of a small town in the Inner-Pomeranian region. He is a person who, above all, has a good understanding of older people, for whom the autumn of life has brought changes, an unwanted way of life and living in a different environment than they used to be used to.

His mother-in-law, Vida, is one of the people who faced the move to a retirement home. She agreed to go there herself. The trigger for this kind of thinking was a fall. She knew that she would be safer in the home than if she had stayed at home alone.

Marjan was previously about five kilometres away from his mother-in-law. That's a seven-minute drive. He visited her regularly at her home and he still visits her regularly at her home.

His mother-in-law is already venerable. It's nice to see how this lovely woman enjoys his daily visits! When she sees him, she becomes talkative. Her smile spreads to her ears and her eyes shine with pleasure. Although her hearing is getting worse, she cannot hear his voice. She loves him more than she loves herself.

Marjan serves her a coffee from the vending machine. The best time to see them is when they walk through the corridors of their home. Vida uses a walker, but she finds greater satisfaction in Marjan, who she holds under her arm and visibly enjoys her presence. She is stubborn by nature, but his word means everything to her. He is the only one she believes and listens to. What he says is sacred to her. His every word is a true blessing to her. Vida caresses her son-in-law's cheeks with her wrinkled hands and clings to his as if she is afraid he will run away. Every time, but really every time, words come out of her mouth when they meet: "That's my little angel! If he wasn't by my side, the worms would have eaten me." Everything he does for her, he does without difficulty, but the effect is priceless; both for the one who does it and for the one who receives it.

Making life better for the elderly in the late autumn of life is a noble act that carries with it an expression of love and humanity. It is difficult to measure in words.

Bernarda Jenko, 26. 4. 2025