Lonely and scared' 90-year-old asked her neighbor, 'Would you become my friend?' The response left her 'shocked'

It is said that the best friendships are the ones formed out of the blue and it’s true. 37-year-old Marleen Brooks was heartbroken to receive a letter from her 90-year-old neighbor, Wanda Mills, asking her to be her friend, per CBS News. The elderly woman penned a letter for her and when Mills returned from work and read it, she was shattered. But a friendship requires commitment, time, love and a genuine bond. The 90-year-old was stunned when she heard back from her neighbor. Older people are often more vulnerable to loneliness for several reasons, as reported by the National Health Service (NHS).

While many older people live alone, some are shunned by society, have lost touch with their loved ones or have friends who are now deceased. This loneliness can take quite a toll on them. It can create mental issues like depression and even health problems. Furthermore, it gives many senior citizens the idea that there is no one for them and they are unable to then reach out or get back into their lively, true selves. Mills was starting to feel the brunt of being isolated from society. The elderly woman lived all alone and had problems due to which she couldn’t walk, per The Washington Post. She relied on caregivers who would come and check on her but still felt alone deep within.

The woman penned a letter to Brooks, mentioning that all her friends had passed away and she had no one. "Mrs.? Would you consider becoming my friend? I'm 90 years old, live alone and all my friends have passed away,” she wrote. She honestly confessed her feelings and said that she was “lonesome and scared.” “Please, I pray for someone,” she added. The young woman was shocked to read the letter. She mentioned that having had so much quiet around, she thought no one lived in the neighboring area. She was disheartened to learn that the 90-year-old was getting by on her own, hoping to find someone.

Brooks knew that choosing the friendship would require a commitment on her end. "The next day, I went over and she pretty much was shocked," she recalled. The woman decided that she didn’t want Mills to go through life alone and that she would be a companion as best as she could. The duo eventually began bonding, giving the 90-year-old some reassurance and giving Brooks soothing relief. The woman never got a chance to spend enough time with her grandma and always regretted it. However, striking a friendship with Mills made a precious transformation. Much later, when the woman was moved to a nursing home, Brooks ensured she retained her bond with her.

She continued to visit around 4 times a week and would often get her family to tag along. "I mean, it could be any of us. And nobody should feel that way, ever," the woman said. Brooks also formed a group called “Pen Pals for Seniors” to end isolation among elderly people so they never felt like they were tackling life alone. Rosina Ragusa, one of the women who signed up to become a Pen Pal following her mother’s death, pointed out the importance of having someone. “It kind of just broke my heart because I thought, ‘What if I hadn’t been there for my mother?’ You just never know who needs a friend,” she remarked.