One of the hardest things about growing old, perhaps is, watching your parents grow older. The years etch their mark in wrinkled hands that once held us steady, in wobbly knees that once walked tirelessly to keep up with our childhood pace, in greying strands that speak of countless lessons learned. The roles get reversed; the child becomes the caregiver, the independent become dependent, conversations tend to become transactional. But what if there was a way to help your parents discover the strength to live with freedom and the courage to embrace change?
Meet Meenakshi Menon, a 66-year-old who refuses to let age define her – or any other senior citizen. A grandmother of two, organic farmer, scuba diver, entrepreneur, and environmentalist, this spirited soul has broken age stereotype by building a tech platform designed to help people over 60 live independently and without the burden of loneliness and boredom.
Meenakshi is the driving force behind GenS Life – dedicated to empowering 60+ individuals through information, community, experiences, support services and discounts especially curated for senior citizens. From yoga sessions, lab test services and travel experiences to tax filing, mental health support and security services – the app aims to help people live their golden years stress-free.
The idea of GenS Life – her fifth startup in four decades of being an entrepreneur and investor in various fields across advertising, marketing and media consulting – stemmed from two thoughts. Firstly, as both a mother and daughter at 66, she felt deeply about supporting parents to live independently.
“There are millions of books on raising children, but no books on raising parents. This relationship ends up becoming complex with time. On the children’s part, there is a sense of guilt of not being able to spend enough time with parents. And for parents, there is passive aggression that their child doesn’t have time for us,” Meenakshi says in an interview to Health Shots She Slays.
The worst thing, according to her, is how the parent-child relationship tends to become transactional over the years.
“Conversations end up being about, ‘Have you taken your medicines? Why is your blood pressure or sugar level high? Did you go to the doctor? Have you background-checked your security guarded?’ Somewhere, if one can take away the grunt work — security, medical services, staff verification, cyber safety — giving them everything they need on an app, children can actually go back to enjoying their parents’ company, letting love and consideration take priority over the transaction. That really is the hidden agenda,” she adds.
The second reason why she felt an urge to launch a platform for seniors, was based on a personal experience.
“I walked into a store to buy an iPhone. The salesman looked at me sweetly, and said, ‘Maa-ji, iPhone… very sophisticated.’ I got really offended. I showed him my wrist with an iWatch. Then I whipped out my iPad. He was actually trying to sell me an Android saying that it is less sophisticated and that I’ll find it easier to use. That was the penny-drop moment. I said, ‘My God, he is trying to talk to me like this because I’m old.’ And then I kept seeing more examples of ageism. I wondered that if someone like me who has achieved so much in my life and doesn’t feel inadequate in any situation, is being made to feel inadequate because of my age, what’s happening to other people? When I started talking to other senior men and women, I realized how deep and complex the problem was,” Meenakshi shares.
The societal prejudice aside, Meenakshi Menon believes people need to redefine their post-retirement lives for themselves. She believes there are two kinds of human beings: those who self-motivate, and those who need a nudge and motivation to break life’s monotony.
For Meenakshi, the idea of self-care itself defines her self-motivated attitude towards life.
“I live a very complex life, and work incredibly long hours. But at the same time, I have two grandchildren, who come to me every Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday morning when I send them off to school. I love walking. I walk between 4-5 kms every day. I workout almost 5 days a week. I go scuba diving. I’m an organic farmer. I’m also an environmentalist, and have an NGO called Vanashakti. So, for me, self-care is every moment of every day. Whatever I am doing, I’m doing for myself. That is self-care,” she shares.
What is her advice to anyone who thinks their best years are behind them?
“Ask yourself, ‘Are you willing to live with that thought for the next 30 years of your life?’ There is no guarantee when you will die. It could be 5 years after turning 60. But what if you live for another 30 years? Do you want to live with the tragedy of thinking every day that your best years are gone? As human beings, we need to keep the hope alive.”
A glimpse of life at GenS for senior citizens!
To women over 60, she has a message: “Educate younger women on what not to do so that they don’t repeat the mistakes their mothers have made. When it’s menopause, for example, don’t hide away from the fact that menopause is a reality. Don’t hide away from the fact that things like PCOD can give you hair on your chin.”
On a parting note, she says: “Conventional wisdom says encourage people to follow in your footsteps. But unconventional wisdom says don’t encourage people to follow in your footsteps. Encourage them to find their own footsteps. But mark out the path for them.”
