From the father to the son. From the mother to the daughter. From the aunts and uncles to the nieces and nephews. The children have never been on the earth before. The grown ups have traversed across the earth for a while longer.
The young have much to learn from the elders. Yet the elders do well to let the young have their head. Elders do well to see the vibrancy and energy of youth and detect the trends and themes that can keep them ever learning and growing even as they have their wisdom to impart. The young ones impulsively wish to do and achieve, to expand and acquire. Strength and vitality coursing through their veins, questioning and querying dismantling the traditions of yesteryear to build their own.
The community and the family thrives, however, on appreciating the journey from age to age. And in those generational exchanges respecting and honouring as well as sharing and investing.
Instruction is shared of the importance of the mothers teaching the daughters and the fathers teaching the sons. Implicit is the responsibility of learning to teach and teaching so others can learn. Intrinsic is the value of wisdom for life so that others can learn to live wisely.
It is not assumed that wisdom comes with age. It is not automatic that the older is the better. It is underlined that to progress through the ages of life the younger can look to the elder as they help themselves up.
I didn’t always appreciate it at the time. Yet there were those precious moments. Sitting with the elders, hearing them share on life. Hearing them disclose truths that would stand me in good stead. Walking with my father and being with him. Seeing his way of life and his conversation. Noticing how little flustered or flummoxed him. Seeing his method of teaching was more by example and character than verbal interaction. Seeing that the appreciation of others would be in itself all the witness I needed as to what to learn.
No, it was not perfect. There was plenty about their practices and traditions that could be challenged and considered again. Part of the wisdom of age was allowing that challenge and conversation. Not stifling it. Not refusing conversation. Openly embracing it. Sure, change would be gradual, because it’s a mind-set thing and when your mind has been set a way for so long, changing it can take time. Yet the inter-generation conversation that makes the family bond so tight is just as much about change as anything. Respecting what worked, whilst exploring what is yet to work, knowing there is work to be done.
As communication is fundamental to the family structure, so is the understanding that this is an issue of the journey from age to age with the help of those ahead and the responsibility to help those coming behind.
(Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 