Gifts of Age

Like you, I’ve been watching the world going through such troubling contortions, shock and pain recently. And I’ve started wondering – as we age, with the life experience we’ve gained and the wisdom earned, what is our role in these crazy times? What “gifts of age” should we be sharing most now? There is certainly a lot of us – talking Boomers and older – out there. Imagine the impact we can have if we share . . .

Perspective – from a lifetime of experiencing life’s ups and downs. In other words, we’ve been there, done that, and know that in most cases, we always come out stronger and more resilient. Yes, these are unprecedented times, yet the same rules apply. So I’m reminding myself to stay active, not angry. Engage. Speak out. Let our wise and experienced voices be heard. We owe it to our country, to the world. Let us set the example that we started in our youth when we fought to break down barriers and change the world.

Compassion – for others, especially those most in need. We’ve certainly learned how valuable and healing compassion is because we’ve all felt it at one time or another in our own lives, and hopefully, shared it with others along the way. In today’s mixed up yet beautiful world, I believe it’s imperative that we make an example of our compassion – make it our platform – for communicating, comforting, and even confronting challenges.

Hope – for a meaningful future for all of us. We may have differences, but I believe human beings are pretty much the same. We want the same things like a happy family, a secure and peaceful place to live and to love, and enough of the basics (food, shelter, health) to live joyfully and not fearfully. Speaking as an American, I think it’s in our DNA to believe in a better tomorrow, a bigger future. I can’t imagine a world in which there is little hope. And at this point in our lives, it’s not fair to sit back and indulge in our own upset or fear. We know better, and I think it’s our obligation to future generations and to those struggling to find a footing to actively demonstrate hope in the face of bleak circumstances. A wise man, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, once said “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” I love that.

So I ask you, “With age, will we grow more compassionate and hopeful? Or will we become a cliched “stuck in our ways?” Do we use our “gifts of age” to ease suffering, or do we hoard the lessons of life experience and sit in judgment of others?

My wish is that we share our perspective, our compassion, and hope . . . now, in order to help usher in a more peaceful yet ever vigilant view of the future. There’s no time to lose. The world needs us, and frankly we need to demonstrate to the world and to ourselves that the gifts of youth can come full circle into gifts of age, and with them we can make a profoundly positive impact on the world we’ll leave behind.

What do you think? Any wisdom to share?

Till next time,

Judy