A lifetime of lessons

I recently overheard a conversation where someone proudly shared a photo of their grandchildren. The lighthearted response was a joke about the grandchildren doing the same in reverse:

“Look, this is my grandmother. Isn’t she cute? Guess what she said today?”

At first, it made me smile — but the thought lingered and slowly turned into a rather sad reflection.

In some cultures, this scenario wouldn’t be far-fetched at all. Older people are deeply respected and revered, seen as keepers of wisdom and invaluable life experience.

They’re the ones everyone turns to when life gets complicated. Not just because they’ve “been there”, but because their experience carries weight. Their stories, their lessons, their way of seeing the world — all of it is held sacred.

But in our part of the world, age is seen as something to hide or overcome. Elders are often seen more as obstacles, despite carrying a treasure trove of hard-earned insight — lessons shaped over decades by the most relentless teacher of all: Life.

What a waste that we don’t value this precious knowledge more.