My grandmother lived through the Depression, World War II, the 1950's and every other world event since then. The Depression and the War defined her young adult life. She traveled from Canada to England when she was nineteen years old, a trip that took her five days by boat. Soon after, World War II began. When Grandma was growing up, televisions were not in every room, the internet didn't exist, snail mail was normal and air travel was still in its very early stages.
Flash forward to my mother who lived through the Kennedy Assassination, MLK Jr, Assassination, The First Moon Walk, and the Vietnam War, and every other world event since. Telephones and televisions were slowly making their way into homes. Women's fashion was advancing from dresses and skirts to trousers. The Beatles were a very popular thing and the Hippie Movement was sweeping the States.
Then I came along. I've lived through the death of Princess Diana, three very different presidents in Clinton, Bush, and Obama, 9/11 and all the subsequent wars. We now have mobile phones instead of landlines, email and internet are our main ways of communication and social media is a way of life, and we're still in so many wars.
What my grandmother, my mother, and I have all experienced in our lifetimes is vastly different. We've also experienced different collective world events as well which have shaped our lives and the way we see the world. My grandmother has seen communication and travel change vastly. My mother has seen so many wars in her time. I have watched as the art of conversation has slowly declined to simply Facebook statuses.
It's an amazing thing to talk with my grandmother and my mother about how they see the world. My grandmother never finished high school but was successful and driven. She worked in many different industries but she succeeded in what she did. My mother went to university and has had one real career since she graduated. I went to university, eventually found a big girl job that really wasn't in what I majored in, but decided to leave that job for a time to do missions. I've traveled Europe, Australia, and most of North America. My mother has seen a lot of North America and my grandmother the same.
We've also experienced different waves of Christianity as well. My grandmother grew up in a time of strict religiosity. There was no dancing and there was no card playing. You dressed up for church and it was a priority. My mother went through the no dancing thing but also there was no drinking at all either. The Jesus movement was a very real thing for her. My generation has floundered around a bit, questioning the idea of religion and we've moved toward the belief that being in the world and not of the world is better so we dance and we may have a glass of wine as long as we don't get too crazy.
But the thing is each of our experiences and the world events that we have witnessed and lived through have shaped the values we live by. My grandmother is 98. The way she was raised through the Depression and WWII has brought her to a point of intense generosity but also a place where appearance is important as well. My mother is a product of the baby boom so they've been taught that security is in their retirement and they must retire at the proper age and then move to a warmer climate. To be honest, my generation? We are the questioning generation and the most impatient generation. We question the media, we question authority, and we question religion. We want things immediately and are not willing to wait for much.
So what of it? Well, there are lessons to be learned. I love my grandmother and my mother so much. They provide me with much wisdom and they bring a different perspective to my life. I seek advice from them because they have lived so much life before me. But at the same time, I must realize where they've come from and what God has brought them through. There have been many changes in my life and in the life of my parents and grandparents. What my brother and I have done and decided is vastly different from the ideals and expectations that my parents were told to live up to. We've broken structures whereas they were forced into them. My grandparents fought to have a good life, my parents kept the good life, and we move beyond it. It's incredible and it's amazing what a generation can do but it's also beautiful. Each of us have lived through such profound and unique things and they have defined us and how we live our lives. We may see the world and the plans that we want to accomplish differently but the things we can learn from each other are awesome. So take the time to talk. Do not let the art of conversation and the curiosity die.
Ask the questions, find out the stories, and see what the generations before us have lived through. Stories are worth telling. Some mistakes should not be repeated. But we can only learn if we ask. Put on a pot of coffee, grab your parents and your grandparents and start a dialogue. What you will learn could be astounding.
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