Smart Senior

Listen to the Grand’s
Surveys tell us that the average person has heard and retained 22 pieces of advice (pearls of wisdom) passed on from parents and grandparents. That’s good to hear, because nowadays seniors are often made to feel that their advice is no longer welcome.
Parental advice has become obsolete. Children, as early as in their teens, feel that they “know it all.” Your efforts to remain relevant and well informed are for naught. It hurts. Truth be told, it changes your relationship.
When did they stop listening? Parents and Grandparents really have “been there and done that.” They are a wealth of information. They can sew clothing, knit sweaters, balance check books, cook delicious meals, build birdhouses, and they know how to treat everything from bee stings to colic. It used to be considered wisdom.
What brought this to mind was a news item on my phone. A young mother took her baby to the grocery store, filming the experience for her friends (followers, I believe they call them these days). She enjoyed the comments about her beautiful baby, but when a discerning adult made a comment about the little ones’ sober, non-smiling demeanor, she took offence.
A stranger, a grandmother perhaps, with years of experience under her belt, noticed something that she had not, and the remark was construed as criticism.
An overly serious demeanor at any age could be an important clue. I was that child. There isn’t a smiling picture of me anywhere in the family albums. Believe me, knowing that you are genetically predisposed. and not just weird, makes a huge difference. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a “little different,” but if a little personality trait is recognized early on, it can make easier. A stranger understood that and spoke up.
Listen when elders speak. Do not write them off as being out of date, out of touch, or interfering. Do a little research on your own, but acknowledge that their wisdom and experience is priceless. There is a reason why they are called “pearls of wisdom.”