New Seniors

The talk these days is concentrated on Medicare and Social Security and how changes will affect the New Seniors population. We must not forget the other end of the age spectrum: our youngsters. They have no voice in the political debate and no dollars in the game, but what we are doing to them will have long lasting consequences.

If you think Mother’s Day was created by florists, jewelers or the greeting card industry for the purpose of selling their wares, think again. This special day of commemoration is celebrated in countries throughout the world. Its roots can be traced back to ancient times, yet Mother’s Day is as modern as today.

I was an enthusiastic participant in sports for much of my life. Practicing for hours. Pick up games. Organized leagues. Varsity teams. I loved playing. I also learned to love being a spectator. Watching my children play was fun, but seeing the grand kids take part in athletics is a special joy.

A relationship with another human being is the greatest gift we can receive. Yet, it’s so easy to take for granted. I know because, it took many years before I was willing to look at my faults and work on them. Only then did I start to experience the joy of just being with another person rather than in control of them.

Pre-boomers were taught the first Thanksgivings was a day of gratitude expressed by the early settlers nearly 400 years ago in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The pilgrims thanked God for delivering them to the new world where they could live free of religious persecution, for surviving the first year, and for the harvest to sustain them in the winter months ahead. We also learned they shared food with the local Native Americans.

Fortunately, I have a 94 year old friend who is much like a surrogate father to me. Our relationship started while my dad was still alive. We became closer when dad passed on 5 years ago and have remained that way ever since. It’s a blessing to have an older person in your life to learn from and gain prospective about today’s world based on the experience they have by going through difficult times in the past. And, the beauty of it all is they don’t expect a thing in return.

Many from my generation, the pre-boomers who are now known as New Seniors, were the first in to venture away from home in our early adult lives. We were born in the Great Depression or during WWII, so starting life during this extended period of uncertainty may have influenced us to look outside our communities as we began our careers. Those who did, like me, may find themselves trying to reconnect with family and friends in order to close some doors and open others as we move to the next phase of the great continuum of life.

Maybe it’s me, but a friend, who is also a pre-boomer, told me he is moving into a retirement facility later this year. I could not determine if he was pleased or simply resigned to it. This man is younger than I am, so it got me to thinking about this as an option down the road. Probably many of us at the farther end of the generation born between 1930 and 1945 have thought about this possibility, so let’s explore it.

I don’t think our sisters get the kind of credit they deserve. Most of them didn’t march against the establishment, burn their bras or vocalize about not having the equal rights they deserve. Raised to be ladies, they just went about taking care of what was in front of them whether it was raising a family, pursuing a career, or both. The epitomize the attitude of the “Can-do Generation.”

For the past couple of decades, Americans equated being rich with how much stuff they owned and the size of their financial portfolio. With the economic downturn, many of us had to rethink what was important and place our faith in more than the almighty dollar. Because pre-boomers experienced dire times when we were young, we may be able to use life’s lessons to help others walk through the current crisis.