I don’t think it is any secret among my friends that I love
old people. It sounds terribly silly to
say it that way. But I really and truly do. In all sincerity, I do find that there are
some really great lessons we can all learn from the Greatest Generation. In an age where everything is fast paced,
fleeting, and shallow what would happen if we all took a step back and looked
at what our grandparents did? I am not
against progress. I think there have
been some amazing changes in the last 80 years or so. But there are a few things I believe are
still relevant today even if they are not prevalent today.
Here are the 5 things
I think will strengthen us and our children for future generations:
1. Waste not, want not.
The Greatest generation lived through the
Great Depression and WWII. They saved
every last penny, every last bite of food.
Nothing was wasted. Nothing went
unused. Today we live in a disposable
society. The flashier, the brighter, the
newer – the better. We have so much
stuff that we can’t organize it all! There are warehouses full of stuff that
people cannot even fit into their homes.
There are people living in immense amount of debt because our consumer
driven society keeps telling us we need more.
We live in the illusion that more will make us happy. But the truth is more won’t make you
happy. What if we took the time to ask
ourselves questions like: Can I afford
this? Do I really need this? Can I wait to buy this?
2. Put Others First
My grandparents are prime examples of putting
others first. For example, whenever they
had guests come to stay with them my grandmother would automatically make the
master bedroom up for her guests. She
and my grandfather would then take the smaller bedroom and use the bathroom in
the hall. It wasn’t just guests
either. They lived putting others
first. . My favorite part of this is that my
grandparents served others without acting like it was a pain. They served others out of love! What a difference it would make if we all
could serve others out of love every single day. Let’s look for opportunities to serve. I am
on board!
3. Humbleness
One of the greatest examples I can find of
true humbleness comes from my Papa. My
Papa worked extremely hard to make a living for his family. He fought in the air force in WWII. He took in my Aunt and her two daughters
after their father died and worked even harder to support all of them together. He always helped anyone he came in contact
with that was in need. But in all the
years I got to know him. I never heard
him brag. He was always full of dignity
and modesty. I think we could all
benefit from humbling our hearts a bit.
4. Faithfulness in Love
There is a reason why the Greatest Generation
celebrates big numbers in marriage. They spend more time serving and loving each
other than looking at how green the grass is in the neighbors back yard. Or better yet they spend more time with each
other than with their phones/ipads, etc.
Loyalty and commitment are valued
in the generations before us! In the
many conversations that I have had with my Nanny about marriage she insists that
the road was full of bumps, the moments not always happy, and that in the end
she would not change a second of it.
The good far out weighed the bad.
It was worth the effort. It was
worth the rough moments. (Side note:
I am not applying number four to anyone in an abusive situation.)
5. Enjoy
Life!
Don’t waste time looking back! Everyone has regrets. Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t let the moments that have passed ruin the moments of the future! Enjoy the moment you are in. One thing I can say of the Greatest Generation. They are in the moment. They are not on their phone recording everyone singing Happy Birthday! They are singing, smiling and in the moment. Put down the phone, let some work go. Enjoy life! It is too short not too!
What are your thoughts?
What are some lessons you have learned from the Greatest Generation?
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