We’re thrilled by the initial response to the contest we’re running on elder wisdom. You’re invited to share elders’ life lessons in two ways:
- People of any age can submit (in around 100-200 words) a lesson they have learned from an older person
- Older people can submit one of their own lessons for living
Prizes include $100 Amazon gift cards and copies of the just-published book 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from theWisest Americans. Click here to enter!
Here are a few gems that have been coming in over the past few days:
“Attitude, attitude, attitude. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. That’s what my mother use to say all the time when I was younger.”
“My grandparents’ calm and gentle demeanor towards each other and toward me gave me a strong sense of stability and of hope for the future. Their gift to me was the gift of observing and participating in a simple, but happy lifestyle at a time when there was great instability and unhappiness in my immediate family.”
“My dad has given me a lot of good advice. He always says that in life you don’t owe anyone an explanation and that too many times people get worked up about trying to justify things to other people. He truly never worries about what other people think.”
“When visiting an elderly home in Maine I was talking to a group of women with more energy than you could possibly imagine. One woman left an impact on my life and I always remember what she said when we were leaving, “Variety is the spice of life, EXCEPT with your husband.”
“My grandfather has said that you should be smart about spending money. But this does not mean that we should meticulously scrimp on everything. “Money that should be spent, should be spent.” I recently applied to medical schools. At one point, I did not want to add anymore schools. Applications are very expensive, with each school at $100 to $150. But then I was reminded of my grandfather’s words. I should not concern myself with the cost of education. Plus, I was limiting my list to the point of concern because I was not applying to enough schools to be safe. Thanks grandpa.”
Thanks to everyone who has submitted lessons, and we look forward to receiving many more!
My mother spent more than 20 years working at a care facility for older people with health problems. She started as a nurse’s aide and then went back to school after raising four children so that she could become an LPN. After she retired in her mid-60s, you could tell she missed her job. Whenever we were out in public, if she saw older people who appeared lonely and needed a kind word or two, my mother always approached them to say hello and often start a conversation if they seemed to want to talk. When my mother’s own health began to decline as she grew older, she experienced much pain and sometimes confusion. But when I took her walking at the mall for exercise, she always perked up when she saw other elders who looked as though they needed encouragement. It was as though her old self returned, even for just a few moments. Now that she’s gone, I often do what she demonstrated. It doesn’t cost me anything to be nice to people who might otherwise feel invisible. I think of my mother doing that so naturally and with a genuine spirit, and I try to emulate that practice. It’s like a part of her was left with me when I do. — Kevin