Age Inclusion Begins with US

One of my adult daughters spent the past year or so living with my parents.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how well it would go—not just because of their age differences, but because of their differences in so many other aspects of life.

As it turns out, it was the experience of a lifetime—for my daughter, and for her grandparents.

After several pretty challenging years—navigating a life-changing disease, the rigors of law school, the isolation of COVID, and the need to prove herself in her first “real” job as a lawyer—moving in with people who were eager to pile on the TLC was a welcome and timely gift for my daughter.

As the center of this proverbial intergenerational sandwich, my husband and I marveled at how their relationship began to take shape last fall:

My parents introduced our daughter to as many people her age as they could—friendships she will carry forward with her into future chapters of her life.

She encouraged them to get out of the house a bit more. 

She and my mom began having “girls lunches” at a local café every Thursday with my niece (who spent last year living with her parents after graduating from college).

They went to the movies. She took them to new restaurants and involved them in her search for the area’s best migas (a popular Tex-Mex breakfast dish). She introduced them to new TV shows and streaming channels.

She even got the three of them to dress up as the Three Little Pigs for Halloween (a miracle beyond all comprehension—see below).

On the other hand, she got to know and spend time with THEIR friends—people she now calls by their first names while I continue to refer to them as “Mr.” and “Mrs.”

She got to see what life in your late 80’s/early 90’s can look like as they maintained their six-day-a-week/three-miles-a-day walking regimen, their semi-weekly personal training schedule, and their connections to longtime friends (some of whom they’ve had for more than SEVENTY YEARS).

And she was there as they navigated their health challenges—and learned how trying it can be to perform well at a full-time job and take care of herself while also serving as a family caregiver.

Today is Ageism Awareness Day, and this year’s theme is Age Inclusion.

We often talk about Age Inclusion as it relates to the workplace or other institutions. But looking back on the past year made me wonder:

HOW AGE-INCLUSIVE ARE OUR LIVES?

How many intergenerational relationships do we have? Are we making the effort to seek them out—and maintain them over time?

Here are a few ways we can make our lives more age-inclusive:

Become a mentor—or a mentee. Volunteer. Join a club. Take a class. Learn a new skill. Connect with your neighbors. Call your relatives.

The fact is Age Inclusion begins with EACH of US.

And we don’t have to dress up for Halloween—unless, of course, we want to.