Lessons Learned from Family

Family is so important!  Think about what you have learned from the elders in your family.  Who would you be today without their influence?  I know it is the luck of the draw, some of us got a better set of cards than others, however, if you take time to look at what your family has to offer, each on is has a lesson.

Take my 97 year old grandfather in law!  Up until last year he was living alone and driving around town in his minivan.  Oh, and playing golf every week in the summer.  Spunk!  Active in the community!

We asked him about growing up on a chicken farm in upstate.  His father raised over 5000 chicks each year which he sold off.  They kept 500 for their farm.  He admitted times were tough at some points in his life, yet he never used the term "The Great Depression".  He lived through it. He doesn't talk much about it though, it was just tough.

What we are going through now it tough.  It most likely will get tougher, yet, when we are 97 years old, I don't think we'll be obsessing over how bad it was.  Will we remember the fun parts of our lives? Will we become more active in our community?  Will we become more frugal?  Will we put more value on family than on material goods? Will we stay independent and self reliant?

Continue the journey and learn from family!

Comments

[Craig Watkins]

How right your grandfather-in-law is! Last fall I met a 90-year-old guy on a plane and asked him what the last depression was like in Rochester. He said he had nothing but fond memories because his family was close with all the neighbors and he played in the streets all day. Selective memory, I'm sure, but my grandparents and parents told me the same thing. Connecting with family and neighbors, making new friends. That's the best part of life. Saves money too :)

[Carol White Llewellyn, The Finger Lakes Travel Maven]

Wonderful post, Hannah!

My great, great Aunt lived to be 98 years old. Until the day she passed away, she lived in her house and did without help. Every day she went down the street to the geriatric home and read to the people seniors or played bingo with them because, "Somebody has to keep those old people young!"

She was probably older than 99% of the people there.

I aspire to be like her!

[Deborah Mourey]

Great post. One year during the 1940's my grandmother gave my grandfather a bottle of after shave(bay rum) and at the end of Christmas, she took it and put it away in her gift drawer. She gave him that same bottle of bay rum for Christmas every year for over 50 years. We all laughed and laughed every year. Talk about making lemonade from lemons.