One of my best jobs was working as a nurse in different long term / retirement homes. I enjoyed so much spending time by the bedside with the seniors in their homes and listening to stories of days gone. I will never forget a 90 year old man who was so excited as he retold me the story of serving in the Army in the Battle of the Bulge. With eyes widened I remember him saying, “Penny I was here the Germans were right there – as he gestured with his hands. It was so intense.” I remember the couple who had been married 65 years and would always sit near my nursing medication cart holding hands. I asked the husband what was the secret to their long marriage. In a slow voice as he propped up his wife pillow – who at this time was blind in one eye – his response with a twinkle in his eye would be, “The wife is always right.”
A local group in our community in partnership with various retirement homes have set up regular play dates between caregivers, babies, kids their parents and the seniors in the retirement homes. These are around various themes – decorating cookies, they have the seniors read stories to the kids, love on the little babies and sing them songs and it is just so amazing to see. I love seniors men. In some West African cultures, the oldest men in the tribe are called griots – the keepers of history. These people have stories to tell. When life was so much greater than likes, swiping up or down, a time when we reached for our phones less and reached out for hugs instead. I mean sure there were the hard times living in those days but boy it was a rich time at a soul level.
There are so many benefits of having littles be loved on by seniors. Seniors have no hidden agendas with littles, they have no rush to get anywhere – so kids have the added benefit of having extra eyes to show them their tricks. I just love love the idea of intergenerational play!