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利用寒假的機會，我到華盛頓看外婆。她已經很老了?快九十歲，住在老人院裏。一進老人院，感覺到裏面很苦。我聞到很重的腥臭味，因老人已經不會上洗手間了，大小便都在衣服裏面。全部的老人都坐在輪椅上，因為太老了。他們都在等著吃晚飯，有些老人需要工作人員餵他們，他們自己無法進餐。工作人員對老人很粗魯，餵的時候很兇，很不耐煩。那些老人沒有子女的愛，真是很可憐！
看來看去，我終於找到了外婆。一看見她，我十分的傷心，開始流淚。因為她臉色很差，又特別的瘦，眼睛也快要睜不開了。看到外婆這種情形，我更加傷痛，媽媽和妹妹也哭了起來。
過了一會兒，外婆的晚餐準備好了，我很想餵她，因為小時候她每天都餵我。我餵她的時候，想到以前美好的日子──外婆對我的照顧，我都還記得一清二楚。
外婆開始慢慢地睜開眼睛了。那時候，我說：「外婆，您還記得我是誰嗎？」
外婆沒有說話，只是對著我笑。
「我是智聰，您的孫子。您好嗎？」
外婆點點頭，說：「智聰！？」
我發現她說話的時候沒有力氣，聲音很小。我開始跟外婆聊天，聊了一下子，她的精神越來越好。外婆非常的高興能看到我，雖然她不記得我是她孫子。
 我唱以前的老歌給她聽，小時候她也唱同樣的歌給我聽。忽然間外婆接著唱第二段，我很驚喜！
我們高興地唱歌的時候，發現另外一個老人在抱怨。他看到我們那麼快樂，就想起自己的家人。他叫著說：「我想打電話給家人。」
沒人打電話，他就不肯吃飯。工作人員罵他說：「你為什麼不吃飯？」
老人說：「我不餓，我要打電話給家人。」工作人員不但不理會，反而逼他吃。
我看到這個情形，特別的傷心。老人院真是太殘忍了！
吃完晚飯就送外婆回房去睡覺。她睡的時候，媽媽告訴我一件可怕的事。外婆身體不好，是因為老人院的醫生每星期檢查她的血液兩三次。你說那麼老的人，如果每次失去那麼多的血，會不會死人？醫生真的需要檢查那麼多次嗎？我真的不相信。
媽媽跟醫生吵了起來，說不需要再檢查外婆的血液了。如果一直檢查，遲早會鬧出人命的！最後醫生接受媽媽的建議，從此不再檢查外婆的血液。
看完外婆，我想了很久，老人院的老人得不到家庭的溫暖，他們住在裏面其實是很苦的。去年我申請了五所大學，其中之一是華盛頓大學，我最希望這所大學能錄取我，如此，我就可以每星期去照顧外婆，報答她對我的關懷與恩情。
父母年老的時候，我絕對不能讓他們住進老人院，無論如何，我一定會好好地照顧他們，我一定要報父母的恩。從小到大，父母那麼愛我，辛苦的養育我。難道我忍心讓他們在老人院裏受苦嗎？人人都應該孝順父母。若不知孝順，就和禽獸沒有兩樣。我們不但要孝順自己的父母，也要本著「老吾老以及人之老」的精神，去孝順天下所有的老人。
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To make this winter break worthwhile, I decided to visit my grandmother in Washington. She lives in a convalescent home; she is about ninety years old.
As I walked into the convalescent home, I could feel the ambience of bitterness and suffering surrounding me. The strong stench of ammonia pervaded the building because the elderly could no longer use the bathroom by themselves. Everyone was sitting in a wheelchair because they were so old. I noticed that they were waiting for their dinner to be served. Some of the elderly needed to be fed because they no longer had the strength or knew how to feed themselves. The people that took care of the elderly seemed quite rough and had very little patience with them. The old folks that live in the convalescent homes do not have the love and care of their own children; I pity them greatly.
Looking around the room, I finally spotted my grandmother. At first sight, I felt great pain. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Her face looked so lethargic and pale; her body was very thin; she could barely open her eyes. Grandmother’s state of health made me feel so hurt. My mother and sister also began to cry.
After a short while, Grandmother’s dinner arrived. I really wanted to feed her because when I was young she raised and fed me everyday. As I was feeding my grandmother, memories arose. I thought of the good old days when Grandmother used to take care of me; I remembered it so clearly as if it were just yesterday.
Grandmother began to slowly open her eyes. That instant, I asked, “Grandma, do you know who I am? Grandmother did not reply, she only shook her head. I said, “I am Albert, your grandson. How are you doing?” Grandma slowly muttered, “Albert!?” As she said my name, I noticed that she was short of breath and that she was very weak. Her voice was very low. I started a conversation with her. After I talked for a period of time, her energy or chi got better and better. I could tell that Grandmother was really happy to see me even though she did not remember me. I decided to sing an old song that she used to sing to me when I was little. All of a sudden, Grandmother began to sing the second part of the song; I was greatly surprised! While we were singing happily, there was this old man that started to complain. Because he saw that we were so happy, he thought of his own family. He began to yell, “I want to make a phone call to my family!” “If I can’t call, I won’t eat!” Then the people that worked there said in a mean way, “Why aren’t you eating?” The old man said, “I am not hungry; I want to call my family.” The workers not only ignored his request but forced him to eat. The situation that I saw made me extremely sad. Convalescent homes are too cruel!
After dinnertime, we took Grandmother back to her room to sleep. After Grandmother fell asleep, Mother told me something very horrifying. The reason Grandmother looked so weak was because the doctors have been checking her blood three times a week. If you take so much blood from such an old person she will lose her life! I couldn’t believe that the doctors needed to check so much blood!
Mother had a fight with the doctors at the convalescent home. She said that Grandmother does not need her blood to be checked anymore. If you take so much blood from her, she will die! The doctors accepted mother’s request. From that day forward, the doctors stopped taking her blood.
Last year I applied to five colleges. One of them was University of Washington. I hope Washington can accept me. If I am accepted, I can take care of my grandmother every week. I can finally repay my grandmother for her loving kindness.
After visiting Grandmother, I thought for a long time; the old folks that live in convalescent homes do not have the warmth of their family. Their lives are really suffering. When my parents reach old age, I will never let them live in a convalescent home. No matter what happens, I will take care of my parents. I must repay their kindness. Ever since I was born, my parents have been loving me with all their heart and have taken care of me so well. Can I bear to let them stay at a convalescent home to endure suffering?
Everyone should be filial to their parents. If one is not filial, one is no different from an animal. We must be filial not only to our own parents but to all the elderly people in the world.
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