The Wisdom of the Elderly

Lately I have been using public transit and have found it to be very relaxing. I can sit back and sip my coffee and let someone else do the driving. Not to mention I am doing my part for the environment. It seems like a lot of people in their golden years are also using this means of transportation and more times than not I am lucky enough to be privy to their conversation as they wait patiently for the bus to arrive. Today a lovely elderly woman was telling us all about the close call she had when she was on a trip with her husband. She had nodded off and unbeknownst to her, while she was off in dreamland her husband fell asleep at the wheel. She said for some reason she awoke with a start and to her horror she was looking head on at the grill of a semi. She reacted quickly and grabbed the steering wheel and turned it sharply to the right and the car went into the ditch causing her husband to wake up and hit the brakes hard. She finished the story by saying she knows without a doubt that it was her Guardian Angel that saved them that day.

The elderly have many such stories to tell. They have lived longer than a lot of us and have experienced so much that we could all benefit from their wisdom. If your kids are not lucky enough to have Grandparents they can get the same benefit by having you take them to a retirement complex. Many of the residents are really lonely and would love to have a child visit them. You could even start an adopt a Grandparent program and get other kids in the neighbourhood involved. Children need to spend time with the older generation to learn how things used to be. They will benefit greatly from listening to the elderly share their experiences and your kids might just make an elderly persons day, especially when it is during the holiday season which can be a very depressing time for these wonderful people.

Happy Parenting

Monicka