As a child, the phrase, “we’re going to grandma and grandpa’s house” wasn’t met with sighs, eye rolls, or groans. Instead, it was met with a smile stretched from ear to ear and the knowledge that I was about to be challenged to think, inspired to learn, and empowered to dream. When I went to visit my maternal grandparents, it meant long, analytical conversations about films, trips to the theater, and cooking with my grandfather. It meant swapping book recommendations with my grandmother, getting into heated debates over current events, and listening with rapture to my grandparents’ travel experiences. And, although my paternal grandparents lived far away, I knew visits to their place similarly meant fun was just around the corner, whether in the form of card games, trips to the water park, or sneaking an extra M&M cookie baked by my grandmother. As I continued to delight in time spent with my grandparents and even got to know some of their friends, I became more and more appalled by the popular notion that older adults and teens don’t mix. We all know the stereotypes: senior citizens are grumpy, slow, and completely out of touch. And many seniors don’t have a high opinion of teens, believing our generation to be self-absorbed, addicted to technology, and obnoxious. However, my experiences shattered these prejudices and inspired me to show others just how rewarding intergenerational relationships can be.
In middle and high school, I established a club called Generations Together in which students visited retirement community residents, and I began to write articles for a local newspaper geared toward older adults. Through each of these endeavors, my belief in the power of intergenerational connections was reinforced. At the retirement community, I witnessed the development of countless friendships over board games, art projects, and trivia. Several of those friendships were my own. I can still vividly recall laughing as one resident recounted the daredevil exploits of her youth and being touched as another resident described her experience living through the Great Depression. Another resident had lost her legs, but wasn’t willing to let that stop her from engaging in her favorite pastime: sewing. She learned how to work the machine pedal with her elbow and continued crafting beautiful caps and clothing for underprivileged children. The individuals I met at the retirement community were not grumpy, slow, or out of touch. They offered a wide array of wisdom, connected with me over relatable experiences, and demonstrated bravery, strength, and compassion. Writing for the newspaper, too, allowed me to connect with myriad incredible older adults, like a karate master who taught those in his age group how to defend themselves or a poetess who had recently published a book of her works. These people showed me that life is anything but over after the age of 60, and, again, highlighted the unexpected connections a teen and senior citizen can share.
With COVID impacting teens and seniors alike all across the globe, now is the perfect time to seek a bond with an older adult. Whether making virtual visits to nursing homes and retirement communities, chatting with isolated seniors over the phone, or volunteering with technology cafes (in which teens instruct older adults on how to use various technological devices), you can not only make a difference in the community, but can also make a new, lifelong friend; I continue to keep in touch with many of the older adults I’ve connected with over the years. I hope that you are able to experience similarly fulfilling intergenerational relationships in the future. After all, people can be ageist, but friendship doesn’t discriminate.