As Children Move Abroad and Friends Die, an Elderly Moroccan Man Faces Growing Isolation
His children live abroad, some friends have died, and joint pain limits his mobility. In a study of social relationships in Morocco, one elderly man describes how his circle of loved ones has shrunk, leaving him alone for long stretches.
He wakes around 7 a.m. because he sleeps poorly. In the evening, the hours drag on. He goes to bed early but still fails to get a restful night’s sleep. This elderly man, whose identity has been anonymized, describes a daily life marked by loneliness and physical difficulties.
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His account appears in the Annecy Behavioral Science Lab report on Morocco, based on fifty interviews with adults. The researchers explore, among other things, what happens to relationships when age, distance and death reduce opportunities to get together.
For this man, several losses have piled up. His children live outside the country. Friends and people in his circle have died. Joint pain makes it harder for him to get around, making it more difficult to meet those who remain.
The report also describes another older participant whose friendships have become rare after decades of adult life. He now counts just two people he would still consider close friends. Others have drifted away or can no longer take part in social life as actively.
A visit, groceries, a little company
In the first man’s daily life, a neighbor’s daughter has an important role: she brings him groceries every week. She is one of the few contacts he still has.
Other interviews show the role neighbors can play. One participant says a neighbor brought him soup when he was sick the previous winter. Another person describes a neighbor who has become like a family member and comes knocking when the curtains stay closed.
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The elderly man also finds refuge in memories of his village. He imagines the olive trees swaying and his mother reciting verses from the Quran as she kneads dough. Familiar places, smells and gestures give him a sense of company that the people around him no longer provide as often.
He remembers a time when doors were left open and neighbors would drop by with bread or soup without needing an invitation. “But even that is changing,” he confides.
