There was a time when having three or four generations alive and kicking at the same time was supposed to be a blessing, but today, it is more and more being perceived as a curse. Great grand-parents in their eighties, grand-parents in their sixties, parents in their forties and children in their teens, all existing at the same time, has become a source of great turmoil for many people. Those worst hit are the ones caught in the middle.

Medical science has advanced tremendously and has increased the longevity of men, but man has unfortunately not grown wiser with age. The wisdom of the years seems to be sadly missing in most. In fact, sometimes, the reverse happens, with more and more rigidity setting in with age. This is probably the reason why those seeing their parents and grandparents becoming increasingly insecure, dependent and rigid, are seeking solace in personal growth programmes and spiritual pursuits.

More often than not, the middle generation is painted as the villain, by both the older parents and the younger children, when they are actually the victims of circumstances. Both the older and younger generation look to them to fulfil their demands, with no thought for how much the middle generation is getting ‘stretched’. Films and the media play up the victimisation of the older generation. Teenagers also crib about their parents’ lack of understanding. Butthe numerous quiet cases of the victimisation of the middle generation remain unrecorded.

Though middle-aged men and women are both subjected to this very real problem in their lives, there are more cases of women suffering. This is because often men confine themselves to a limited role of being the ‘provider’, and leave the rest to the wife. She is caught in the middle of juggling her roles as a mother, daughter-in-law, wife, daughter, home-maker, maybe also working to bring in more money, and loses herself somewhere along the line.

She is not only caught in the middle but is crushed in the middle. So maybe while we are working so hard to create awareness for the physical and mental health of our seniors and juniors, we also need to stop and think about paying more attention to the plight of those caught in the middle.