This Makar Sankranti, Let Love Be the Warmth That Lifts Our Elders

Makar Sankranti is a festival of transition. The sun begins its northward journey, days slowly grow warmer, and hope quietly returns after the harshness of winter. It reminds us that change is natural—and that after every difficult phase, light finds its way back. But as we celebrate with til-gud, kites, and family gatherings, there are elders among us for whom this change feels very different. For many parents and grandparents, winter is not just cold weather. It is stiff joints that make getting out of bed painful. It is slower steps, weaker balance, and nights filled with worry about slipping in the bathroom or walking alone in the dark. While the world celebrates movement and new beginnings, they often move more cautiously, more quietly, and sometimes—more alone. Makar Sankranti teaches us to let go of what weighs us down and move forward with warmth and kindness. For our elders, that warmth does not come from the sun alone. It comes from reassurance. From knowing someone will check in. From feeling seen, heard, and cared for—not just during festivals, but every ordinary day that follows. As children, our parents once held our hands when we learned to walk. They stayed awake through our illnesses, our fears, our uncertain beginnings. Today, many of them face their own uncertainties—loss of strength, fading confidence, and the quiet fear of becoming a burden. What they rarely ask for, but deeply need, is presence. This Makar Sankranti, care doesn’t have to be loud or elaborate. It can be as simple as sitting beside them and listening. Asking how their body feels. Noticing if they walk more slowly than before. Making their home a little safer. Calling more often. Staying a little longer. When we share til-gud, we say, “Til-gud ghya, god-god bola”—accept sweetness and speak kindly. Perhaps the truest sweetness we can offer our elders is reassurance: You are not alone. You are still important. We are here. Festivals pass, kites come down, routines return. But the care we show now becomes the strength our parents carry into the days ahead. This Makar Sankranti, as the sun begins its journey toward warmth, let our love do the same—for the ones who once made our lives brighter, and now need us to be their warmth.