Writer Jonathan Lockwood Huie has said, “unsolicited advice is always meddling.”
So … let me meddle a bit.
If I were to give two bits of advice to anyone who would listen, they would be:
- search after God
- surround yourself with people of various ages
I am not going to touch on the first, as … well, I hope that permeates all of my posts, all of my breaths.
It is the second that I am going to dare to meddle, and give my two cents worth.
From my experience of life, it is better fed into and I have more to learn and take away from when I spend time with people of various ages.
Our world and society seem to constantly be pushing people of similar thinking, similar living and similar ages together at the exclusion of all others. We have day care for babies, toddlers or preschoolers. We have elementary, middle and high schools. There are developments that are for the forty-five or fifty-five and up, exclusively. Bible studies for preteens, teens, college and career, young married, re-married, expecting, new parents, new moms, parents of teens, single adults, single parents, empty nesters, seniors, etc., etc., etc.
Though all of those have good rational for grouping together, as they are groups who have something in common, there is also good rational for groups, or circles of friends who do not all drive mini vans, eat avocados, do homework, vote for a certain political party or collect a retirement cheque, if you do too.
To spend time with those at the end of life is to see the perspective of one who knows what is a major problem, and what is a minor one. They have more of an eternal view, as they are not anticipating the next epic movie, they are anticipating their own epic move into eternity.
To spend time with people who have completed their career years is to spend time with people who are loving their time, enjoying their days, not taking a moment for granted.
To spend time with those whose nests are emptied is to be reminded that it is coming soon, and to make time for your children while they are under your roof.
To spend time with those in the throws of the career and family years is to be reminded … to pray for them! Those are the most challenging years to time, finances, energy and relationship to one’s spouse. We need to hold them up in prayer, that they do not get so busy doing that they forget to live and have life abundantly.
To spend time with those in the years of building family, home, career, hobbies is to be reminded that life doesn’t always go as expected. Those are the years of the building of faith, through successes and trials and failures and disappointments. The years of marriage, or not. Of having children, or not. Of purchasing a home, or not. Of scoring the dream job, or not.
To spend time with those in their early twenties is to be reminded of idealism. It is a season of life when we humans actually believe and make strides to change the world, globally and locally. It is a window that, those of us who are older, need to peer through more frequently than we do, so that we do not stop trying to do good, so that we do not become stagnant in how we live as part of a bigger community.
To spend time with adolescents and teens is to be reminded of what it is to feel awkward and under pressure. It is the season of development when striving begins. Striving to be seen, striving to be successful in school and extracurricular activities, striving to make others proud, striving to be perfect. They remind us how unnecessary the striving is, and the toll it takes on us.
To spend time with children is to be reminded to play. To just play and play hard. To awaken each day eager to learn, to do, to be. This is the season which the phrase joy of life is most visible.
Ah, and then the babes … they remind us of the miracle of life. That just breathing is a gift.
May our circles be filled with those who can tell us what is coming, as well as what has been. May we rub shoulders with those we can assist, and who can assist us. May our lives include those who remind us of the value of eternity, this moment, of a breath.
itsawonderfilledlife 