On a beautiful spring afternoon, a bus filled up in the Tel Aviv area with dozens of smiling, sprightly elderly women, along with a handful of younger faces. The destination was Beit Meir, near Jerusalem, where they were to spend several hours on their annual outing.

The older women, a close-knit, friendly group, were all members of the Malka Hager Fitness Center "walking brigade". Two or three times a week, 100 women, accompanied by a professional fitness trainer and a number of cheerful Ezer Mizion "Chayil" volunteers, board a bus and ride out to the green expanses of the National Park in Ramat Gan. For one pleasant hour, the ladies walk along the rustic paths, engaged in lively conversation. The walking contributes greatly to their health - both physical and emotional. Most of them would not miss it for the world!

Once a year, the group - both golden-agers and volunteers - are treated to a joint outing. This year's trip to Beit Meir was a grand success. The women visited in the town's popular "Shabbos Farm" - with its vivid representations of the 39 prohibited melachos of Shabbos. A short walk on a nature trail high in the Judean mountains was truly a treat for them all.

The highlight of the afternoon was a stop at Beit Meir's "Grandpa's Storehouse", a display of a variety of items from yesteryear, such as copper coffee urns, kerosene burners, scrubbing boards, etc. -dating back sixty or seventy years and more. Every item sparked memories of a personal childhood experience of some of the elderly women, which they promptly shared with their friends. The common memories drew the women even closer together, increasing the social benefits of the experience and creating a priceless sense of "belonging".