In Praise of Growing Older

Today's excerpt from my new hardcover book Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth pinpoints the beauty of growing older in the most vivid way I can describe:  by hanging around older people! They have a lot to teach us . . . and thanks to my wife, I received a lesson that transformed my life.

My daughter asked me the other day. “Dad, were you alive in the olden days?”

I thought for a moment and replied. “Well, I never thought of it that way but . . . yeah I guess I was alive in the olden days. But Grandma and Grandpa were the true pioneers of the olden days!” You know, radio broadcasts in the evening and letters delivered to mailboxes by the postman. As a matter of fact, the olden days were amazing, and the people who lived them had their characters shaped by patience, hard work, and love. And they well may be the last generation in history to own the distinction of being wise.”

I am reminded of this every Mother’s Day when our family joins together in a ritual that my wife started. A few years back I did what I always do prior to Mother’s Day weekend. I asked Connie where she would like to have Mother’s Day brunch. In the past she had always selected a favorite family restaurant. But this time Connie had another idea. “I don’t want to have brunch. I want to go to nursing homes and hand out flowers to the mothers and visit with them.”

“Wow, no brunch?” I exclaimed. “C’mon, let us celebrate all the hard work you do for us . . . all the love and support. I insist. We want to take you out and honor you.”

“You can honor me by doing what I want to do on Mother’s Day.”

Case closed. Now I’m not sure if you’ve ever visited a nursing home or senior care center, but for the most part it’s not party time. I mean, it’s wonderful that seventy-to-ninety year-olds have a place to where they can have the care and support they need, but I get the feeling that not everyone is thrilled to be there. There are some places, of course, that are literally senior cities with games every night and concerts and amazing gourmet meals. But not all families can afford that luxury. The average senior home is—how shall I put this?—quite basic.

Our trips into the nursing homes and assisted living facilities over the last decade have yielded some great bonding experiences for each of us individually, and as a family. Both Gib and Prima have grown servant’s hearts on these trips and I am incredibly proud of my wife and her passion for serving what she calls the “forgotten generation.”

And me? Well, I started out feeling like I was visiting someone else’s grandparents; I almost felt like I was intruding. That is until I realized that a lot of these senior citizens had no one coming to see them, or maybe one visit once a year. Every Mother’s Day I am shocked by the number of moms whose only flowers will be the ones brought in by strangers. This truly is the forgotten generation.

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

During one of these trips to a nursing home, I had an amazing conversation with a 102 year old woman.  You can read about it in Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth. Right now you can preorder an autographed copy of my book for half price plus you'll receive a free copy of my concert DVD John Tesh Alive Music&Dance by just clicking here.

Comments

[Arlene Clark]

A reminder to some: WHAT YOU REAP IS WHAT YOU SOW. This might be over some people's heads, John. My Mother taught it to me. She's gone now and I am in the elder generation. I get it. Quite possibly we may have to get to this point in our lives to truly understand the words. I know there are many people in nursing homes, assisted living facities,etc. that have no visitors or those visiting are looking at their watches thinking they've done their duty by puting in their half hour a year. Truly, in life, what you reap IS what you sow.

[Dana lovin life]

It is all about love and caring. The more we can do it with everyone the better the good energy flows all around the world. So just love!