Caring For Others Of All Ages

Posted by suzanne  on Apr 2, 2014

Our lives are most meaningful in the ways we touch the lives of others. This is the great beauty of life and what provides the deepest meaning and fulfillment.

When we are of an age, how will we continue to associate, interact and engage with others? As we age, some of the best moments are when we are in the company of those who are of a different age. Yet, lives are often lived separately; we segregate the generations to different domains, spheres and social structures. When we separate the ages in our society, we make this special interaction more difficult to achieve.

It is difficult to find suitable language to describe those who are older but are also young at heart. They are seniors and elders in comparison to my age. But I don’t perceive them with the connotation that the word ‘old’ describes. When I get to know them as individuals, their age disappears. In fact, when the generations interact and intermingle, we realize we have much in common after all; any differences evaporate through caring, loving and laughing together.

It is wonderful to see the young inspire the old and the old inspire the young. This is what can be achieved through intergenerational interaction.

Intergenerational Day in Canada

Posted by suzanne  on May 31, 2013

June 1^st is Intergenerational Day, with more than 100 cities across Canada participating. This day highlights the benefits of intergenerational relationships.

Intergenerational engagement means connecting the generations – not siloing them – and it encourages social inclusion. Young people keep seniors young and seniors provide young people with a broader perspective on their experiences. Social interaction between young and old creates stronger bonds between the generations and breaks negative stereotyping.

Seniors and elders are role models of healthy aging for the younger ages. In fact, my grandfather was my role model. He inspired me in my work.

How are you exploring the ‘intergenerational’ in life? How often do you see the older adults, and those younger than you, who are in your life?

Congratulations Sharon MacKenzie of i2i for excellent work on Intergenerational Day.

Connection

Posted by suzanne  on May 21, 2013

The connection between the generations

In my work, I meet seniors regularly, and recently, on separate occasions, I had the privilege of speaking with a 100-year-old woman, a 95-year-old man and a 74-year-old man.

I like speaking with seniors and elders. Our conversations are refreshing and invigorating. The discussion is engaging and stimulating. It is a great joy to speak to interesting individuals with so much to share.

From these conversations, I am reminded that one key to healthy aging is connection. Whether you are an energetic senior or elder or a more frail one, it is important to find the opportunity for connection.

In fact, this is true for human beings across the life course from cradle to grave. I am quite aware that I gain as much from these conversations as the seniors and elders do themselves.

We are social and life is about connection and relationships. It is important that we remind ourselves of this often during our busy lives.

Give your loved ones a squeeze and smile broadly at everyone you meet today – both young and old.

Grandparenthood – Part Two

Posted by suzanne  on Dec 21, 2012

Canadians love to read. As I head out to the bookstore to pick up some Christmas gifts, I am reminded of this. We are a country of readers and should all be born with a library card in our pocket.

As parents, we instil a love of reading in our kids and teach them to read at an early age. As grandparents, we really enjoy reading to our grandchildren. Reading brings immense joy. What could be more delightful than to sit with a child on your lap, cuddling as you read an adventure or look at a picture book together? Moreover, this is a wonderful way to stimulate a young mind because sitting together and reading is foundational for child development during the early years.

I have been on the lookout for children’s stories that portray wonderful family relationships that are intergenerational, especially books that have images of vivid, engaging grandparents. I have collected some real treasures. Here are a few of the favourites from my shelf:

• The Bye-Bye Pie by Sharon Jennings, illustrated by Ruth Ohi
• Bigbeard’s Hook: Nathaniel McDaniel and the Magic Attic by Evan Solomon, illustrated by Bill Slavin
• Night Noises by Mem Fox and illustrated by Terry Denton
• Someday by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds

I expect to see more books that provide positive images of seniors on library and bookstore shelves. As the population ages, books like the ones above will be written and published to meet the demand for good intergenerational stories. If you have some books to add to this list, I’d enjoy hearing about them.

Have a wonderful holiday. Happy reading to all!

P.S. Dear Readers - To the above list, I am adding:

• A Little Something: A Story about Love and Legacies by Susan V. Bosak, illustrated by Laurie McGaw, and
• Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes by Susan V. Bosak

Elder Encounters

Posted by suzanne  on Dec 11, 2012

When we look around, we are surrounded by elders – those actually in our lives who are close to us and those who we encounter.

Growing up, I was often among seniors and elders so that I felt comfortable with them, just sharing and chatting, listening to stories and getting their advice and input. I am so blessed to have them in my life.

This week I have been deeply moved by two elders. I am going to call them both elders because they are in their late 70’s and early 80’s. In addition, they are at a time in life when they influence others by bestowing wisdom, mentoring younger generations and leaving a legacy. They are of an age that deserves the respect of a word like ‘elder’. It conveys a different image than that portrayed by ‘senior’.

The first elder is a family friend who I re-connected with after not having seen him for many years. Recently, I have been visiting with him – having coffee or dinner and chatting on the phone. He is very caring toward everyone and he loves to help others. His name is Bob and I was thrilled when his new book came out. It was wonderful to attend his book launch with my young daughter. Unfortunately, during the last few weeks he has not been well and it is very difficult to see him suffering from ill health. His days consists of a lot of rest with his wife driving him to medical appointments. Through it all, every time I call, he is his bubbly self – this despite the pain, the frustration and the uncertainty. He is always gracious, caring and engaged. It is a wonder to observe how ill health hasn’t curtailed his zest for life, his vitality and his interest in everybody. He is truly amazing. This is part of what it means to be an elder who is aging successfully and gracefully.

The second elder is Leonard Cohen whose show I just saw in Toronto. He joked about aging throughout his performance. On his new album, many of his songs contain lyrics that convey images of aging “…my friends are gone and my hair is grey. I ache in the places where I used to play…” He talks about missing cigarettes, wondering if he’ll reach age 80. He muses that perhaps he will not make it back to Toronto in 2 years to do another show – all this while doing jigs across the stage during a more than three hour show. He seemed on a mission to continue to be vital and vibrant. He amazed us all; however, I was disappointed that he didn’t tell the audience that he gave up smoking for his health – he obviously still craves cigarettes and he isn’t the only one to struggle with this addiction. In using humour and beautiful lyrics to discuss growing older, he connects well with his audience – we are all aging too (even those of us who don’t have the grey hair). All of this tells me that he is an elder as well – someone who is so caring and gracious, he knows all the support staff by name as he thanks them for their assistance; someone who can influence other people with the words he choses; someone granting wisdom and leaving a legacy.

The role of elder is not to be feared or dreaded. If we are blessed with a long, rich life, we will enter this stage too. As we age, we lose those who are dear to us in the generation immediately above us, so that we are the ones who are left to fill the role of elder. Eventually, we will look up and realize that we have become the elder who is asked about having all the answers, the one who is responsible for mentoring, guiding, informing, advising and inspiring the next generation.

What kind of elder are you becoming? I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts and comments.

Grandparenting – Part One

Posted by suzanne  on Nov 21, 2012

“A home filled with grandchildren is a home filled with love.” ~ Author unknown.

“Surely, two of the most satisfying experiences in life must be those of being a grandchild or a grandparent.” ~ Donald A. Norberg

Remembrance Day

Posted by suzanne  on Nov 11, 2012

On November 11th, individuals across Canada will pay tribute to those killed by war and military operations, those who never returned home. These men and women died for what they believed in and for Canada. We remember them.

Some Canadians stop and remember their loved ones – friends and family members – who died. Some think about these sacrifices but have no one to specifically pay tribute to for their courage, strength and determination.

Older adults who have real stories to tell about war are the best teachers for young people who are learning about Remembrance Day. It is wonderful to see schools inviting guest speakers for their ceremonies. Many schools put on an impressive, moving Remembrance Day ceremony. I wonder what synergies would result if, in addition to inviting a senior or two who served in military operations, schools made an effort to invite seniors living in the surrounding community and neighbourhood to attend the ceremony as well.

The importance of Remembrance Day is best expressed through intergenerational learning about the men and women who served Canada and made the ultimate sacrifice for the benefit of younger generations. History comes to life and helps all ages to remember.