The Sweetness of Companionship
I recently heard of a young high school girl who’d been troubled. I’m not sure why, but she was having a hard time in school, fitting in with her peers, and was finding it tough to navigate those tender and often challenging adolescent years.
It just so happens, at about the same time this teenage girl found herself at an emotional crossroads, her grandmother needed help. As is often the case for the elderly, the bridge from independent living to living with assistance requires more and more intervention. Increasing help with meals, bedtime routines, or ministering to growing isolation becomes challenging. The obvious first resource to help with elderly care is family. For as long as it works, mobilizing willing family members to step up might be a solution for solace. I know that challenge quite well. Hearing the story of this young girl’s grandmother ignited all kinds of memories of caring solutions my siblings and I designed for my mom. So, when I heard this young troubled girl volunteered to help her grandmother, I was touched. I know all too well the benefit of such willingness.
Opportunities for skipped generations to spend intentional time together yields magical healing. Navigating teen years might make one feel insecure and overwhelmed by how to step into big life. Older, more isolated people might feel their worth slipping. Yet the meld of such experiential bookends might offer sweet benefits in restoring joy.
The opportunity for two such love seeking people to come together has the potential to have a profound impact. When confusion of a young one meets acquired calm of an older one; the result might be the wisdom of acceptance transferred from the soft, lingering gaze from wrinkled eyes. Conversely, imagine the isolation of an old one and the anticipation of a visit by a young one. Along with the open door of arrival comes the fresh air of vivaciousness, vigor, and delight.
Think about it. For a young person sifting through existential clutter, finding a place they feel safe and needed can ground them. External pressures of athletics, academics, or social media disorder can be overwhelming. Conversely, imagine an elderly person whose existence is physically or socially limited to the point where loneliness is amplified by the constant blaring volume of the TV. Opportunities for the young and the old to spend time together offers an expanded window to the world through shared stories and listening ears.
Simple questions like, “How are you doing,?” might yield a wealth of mutual enrichment. I remember when my mom was quite bound by physical limitations. The vitalization she felt while spending time with her grandchildren was precious. Visiting grandchildren brought my mom the world. There was nothing she enjoyed more than spending simple time with them. Yet, my mom instilled in her grandchildren an even more expansive world of wisdom and acceptance. It was a win-win that happened only because her grandchildren were willing to give her the gift of their time.
Having the opportunity to be a caregiver any age is a good thing. Despite the many days I felt fatigued after caring for my elderly parents, now that they are gone, I draw upon those intimate moments where the ability to listen, touch, and sit with them continue to gift me. I can only imagine the exponential effects of providing care for an older person when the one caring is young. I think about the troubled young girl whose been given an opportunity to heal and be healed by time spent with her grandmother. I trust the world is a bit better for them both.
photo by Danie Franco (@dani_franco) Unsplash photo community