Working for an Historical Society, you might think I'm speaking about "the ages" ... Prehistory, Ancient, Middle, Modern, and Contemporary. But I'm not.
I've been living amongst the ages all my life. The contemporaries, the olders, and the elders.
To learn to "socialize", as contemporary toddlers we were placed together to learn how to "play well with one another". We learned from each other ... skills, words, behaviors, and possibilities.
But we were always taken care of by the olders ... parents, older siblings, cousins, teachers, and even neighbors. These olders taught us good behavior, principals, morals, standards, mechanical techniques, communication, and esthetics; and, they gave us nourishment with love, food, music and belief in our potential.
And if we were lucky, as I was, you spent time with the elders ... those I always thought the most interesting and entertaining when I was young. Granted, they had limited input into my behavior, but a single cross word from my grandmothers could bring me to a full stop, and I knew I'd crossed a line ... not to be done in the future. (Message received Gram!)
One grandmother spoke French, the sound of which I have been in love with to this day. She opened my mind to a broader world. As I learned of my grandparents' lives, the canvas of life broadened and became so colorful. Visiting my grandmothers in their respective homes, they shared parts of their lives with me, in quiet conversations: challenges, heart breaks, and a few exhilarating moments. In the background was always the way the world had changed during the span of their lives ... governments around the globe became dictatorships and some democracies, economies climbed and crashed, and social behavior relaxed more and more. Through all the undulations, they held to the constants in their lives: family and love and affection for those they held dear. It made me look in awe at these elders with tremendous love and respect.
I have been appreciating the ages since I was very young. You learn from each one and can only hope to be a good example to the next ones to come.
God Bless All Ages
For some reason, I have been thinking about my grandmother Marion and aunt Claudia a lot recently, lovely tribute to aunt claudia!
Posted by: Fran | Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 11:50 PM