It is of the utmost importance for you to spend quality time with the people you love. Every day is an opportunity to grow closer to the people around you, but it is also a chance to lose the ones that you love. I have grown up with my grandma and my aunt, and while spending time with the older generation can be kind of difficult, it also has its perks. It's no big secret that the older generations don't approve of many of the choices made by people our age and their expectations are pretty high, too. While they got married younger and bought homes, our economy is so bad that it's hard for us to do the same, but that still doesn't stop us from trying to move forward. There are so many things that we can learn from the older generations, and maybe spending time with them without our phones can help us learn more. Here are some things I learned while spending time with my grandma on her days off of work:
Never be afraid to make a new friend.
On her days off, we are constantly running errands and making sure everything is OK at home. While we're out and about, we run into people she knows and has known forever, and it's interesting to be able to see how she interacts with everyone. We'll run into people she knows, people I know and people we haven't seen in years, but she still makes a connection with everyone she comes across.
There's always something new you can learn.
In a previous article, I wrote about how my grandmother had taught me may things over the years. I can quilt because of this women, I can sew because of her, and learning these things has opened so many doors for me. People love to buy quilts and my high school's costume department got some help while I was there. Recently, she taught me how to de-string celery quickly, and I know that doesn't sound like a big feat, but I'll be able to use it later in life. What if one day I have to make a veggie tray, or have a child that hates celery with strings in it? There's no end to things your grandparents can teach you, and you can make the time to learn.
Even your pets can have manners.
I know, this one sounds a little weird, but my grandmother taught our dog how to say please. By saying please, I mean she will whine in a super specific way when you ask her to say please, and it's both cute and funny at the same time.
There's a whole bunch of stories you haven't heard.
Almost every time I'm with my grandma, I hear a new story about something she has done. She used to make donuts, and work in a Dole Fruit cannery, and so many other amazing things. Even if you're listening to your favorite story for the thousandth time, there's always something new that will pop up. Like a story about their siblings or your parents, and maybe, just maybe you'll get a funny tidbit about your aunt.
Manners are everything.
She's not going to let you forget to say please or thank you. In fact, she'll let you know that that's one thing that she doesn't like about your generation. There are so many things that we don't always remember to do, but remembering our manners is a big one. I feel bad when I don't say please or thank you or hold the door for someone, and that stems from my relationship with her. So try to remember to hold the doors, even if the people aren't right there, and say thank you to the people who refill your drink.
Morals are also very important.
By her own admission, "This generation's main problem is their morals. Follow your heart and don't do the stupid stuff that other people do." I don't think there's any way I could ever say this better. Someone once said, stand up for what is right, even if you're standing alone. Honestly, I agree with that, too. Your morals are yours, and no one can take those from you.
You might even figure out some things they don't like about our generation.
1. There's too many social media outlets. We're tweeting, Facebooking, and texting so much more than we used to, and they hate it.
2. Social media gives us too many ideas, and we're not original enough to come up with our own.
3. We're so concerned about selfies and posting on Snapchat that we miss important memories, like weddings and concerts.
4. We constantly think we're in love, and often, we think it too soon. Our generation thinks their in love every time we get into a relationship, and that's more dangerous than most people realize.
OK, I have given you so many reasons, so call your grandma, put your phone down, and learn something new. There's so much you can learn, and time is your only problem.
