The world is up in arms every time a female is misrepresented. Every time you scroll through Twitter or Facebook you see article upon article upon article making a stance about the lack of diversity in culture – ethnic, gender, sexual orientation. Well, I here to say: “what about age?” No, but really, what about age? How many friends do you have who are a lot older than you or a lot younger than you? It’s a real thing guys. People are lazy when it comes to crossing the generation gap.
Here are a few reasons why we should value multi-generational friendships in our lives.
They offer wisdom
No amount of research can ever beat real life experience or talking to someone who has been through it all. Experiencing life’s pain and challenges causes us to change and grow up. Many times we can’t know the answer until we have walked through the journey. When you talk to someone far old than you, you can gain a perspective which you would never have had on your own.
We prevent depression and loneliness
Many older people lose a lot of their friends and close family. Being young, filled with dreams and excited about life can remind someone older that their life isn’t over until it is over. Taking the time to listen to someone’s stories makes them feel validated and important. Being around someone old can force you to slow down and pay attention to the little things.
We provide mentorship
If you don’t have any young people in your life, who are you sharing your skills with? Who are you encouraging and teaching about life. Young people need support and examples from people who have gone before them. Many young people make poor decisions because they don’t have good examples in their lives.
Many perspectives make the end result better
Whether you are old or young or in-between, hearing the perspectives from both sides makes for more sound decisions. A healthy dialogue helps us to learn from past mistakes, from those who are older and more experienced as well as learning from young and up coming people with ideas and passion.
Don’t let your life be one-dimensional. Learn and grow together side by side. Actively pursue relationships with people who are older and younger than you so that your life is rich and purposeful. The Bible teaches us to love one another, to honour your father and mother and to not look down on people because they are younger than you.
We very easily get caught up in ourselves but today I want to remind you that your life is not about you. Your life is about the impact that you leave on those around you. Leave an imprint on lives. Take the time to care for people, old and young. Let your life be governed by this message: “love one another as you love yourself.”