Children and Elders

Deep down we all know that children are a gift. In every newborn child we can see the dawn of a better world. Within each of us, that child with all its promise is always present.

Old people, too, are a gift, one which our society too often fails to appreciate. They offer us the wisdom of a whole lifetime’s experience. They represent the roots of our past and all the brave suffering that has gone into making us what we are.

When we think about children and elders, we’re reflecting on our own lifetime and how it is all interconnected. In the child, there is the seed of what we become, and in the oldest of us, there is still the child full of possibilities. As Rumi said, “no one will know my true name until my last breath goes out.” No one – not even we ourselves -- will know who we really are until our life is completed. And yet it will be complete in every moment if we live it gratefully.

Strengthening Your Inner Child Through Gratefulness - Right now, a beautiful child full of promise is there inside of you, just waiting to leap, skip, dance, and above all, look at every moment with fresh eyes. Harvesting the Past Gratefully - As we grow older, we come up against diminishments of various kinds: less energy, less mobility of the joints, less quick recall of names, less this and that. But in one respect, we are constantly increasing... Childlike Joy message board - Share your gratefulness for the gift of childhood and for those moments in your adulthood when you saw the world with fresh eyes. Caring for Children message board - Share your joys as well as your challenges in caring for children. The Gift of Elders message board - Share your gratefulness for the gift of old age: both the stresses and the blessings of old people. Click Here for more links and resources