Saturday, November 12, 2016

On the Interview with Madeleine Anna

My granddaughter interviewed me this morning. She live in Dubai, UAE. She is doing some research on growing old and it turns out I qualify to talk about that. That makes me smile...being qualified that is. It was a lot of fun to answer her well thought out questions because it turns out I am full of information and answers. Now it is your turn to smile.
This is Maddie and her younger sister.

She asked me questions like "What was your first thought when you found out you were pregnant?" That one required a little historical background with the answer. She asked about first dates and teen years and family stories and (best of all) what I remembered about her father when he was young like her.

Her last question was about what wisdom I could pass on to her. I told her that she needs to see everything she does as a building block for what she will become. If she makes mistakes, atone for them and admit what she did. What is done normally cannot be undone and in truth the past does not exist. That is why she will need to move forward and learn from all her experiences.

The interview was a wonderful opportunity for me. It was like a vetting of my past as well as serving as a validation of my value to the future. I hope it turned out to be as special as she hoped it would be.

I was reminded that as the "wise" people in our families, we need to find a way to pass on wisdom on so that it weaves its way into our children's lives without them even realizing it.

This week my grandchildren voted, several for the first time. My granddaughter posted on Facebook that she had done her part. My words of wisdom to her as we watched the count come down was to remember that when others go low we always go high. It is a family tradition.

What is the best words of wisdom you could give to your grandchildren or children? Give it some thought.

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10 comments:

  1. What a wonderful experience. Grey hair is wisdom, the bible acknowledges that fact. What a blessing for you to be able to pass on the wisdom you have acquired over the years to your granddaughter.

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    1. I feel very grateful for my family. When my granddaughter said "I love you Grandma" at the end of the interview, I reaped my reward.

      Be well Darlene.

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  2. Please pass on my congratulations to Madeleine Anna. She provided great interview questions.
    Donna
    www.retirementreflections.com

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    1. Will pass your compliment along to Maddie. We will see her in December. As an educator you truly understand what children take away from learning experiences.

      Thank you for stopping by Donna. It always makes me happy to see you here.

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  3. What a delightful post - and philosophy.
    Childless, I cannot answer your question, but love and applaud the concept of admitting mistakes, and moving forward. Building, ever building. Something to be proud of.

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    1. Thank you so much. Even at my age I continue to "build". I suppose when I am finally grown up I will do something else. :)

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  4. This was oddly comforting. My wife and I are both approaching 30. Not old, but it's one of those ones that really makes you start thinking about what the rest of your life will look like. 'Where you've been and where you'll go' but with more focus on reality then a teenager or college student might have. Thank you so much for sharing.

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    1. Robert, you just made my day. Thank you for stopping by.

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  5. I tell them the story of a friend of mine in high school who joined a doo wop group, sang at Woodstock and appeared in a movie. Then he gave that up, went to med school, and now is an orthopedic surgeon. He is an exceptional talented guy. But still I tell my kids to take risks when they are young, in their 20s. If it doesn't work out, they have plenty of time to do something more conventional; if it does work out, they may make history. But, of course, I'm always learning more from my children than they;ll ever learn from me, at least at this point.

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    1. Yes, me too. They are a great source of amazement and joy for my husband and I. We are very lucky.

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