How do we mature? How do we grow in wisdom? This process often happens through relationships with people who have walked the road before us. Grebel’s Spirituality and Aging program provides connection for students with seniors in our community, including people living in long-term care. Undergraduate students have volunteered and become valued visitors, while Master’s students have completed practicum placements working alongside their elders.
A component of Grebel’s Aging and the Spiritual Life course (offered at both the graduate and undergraduate level in Winter 2020) encourages students to build a relationship with someone in the ‘fourth quarter’ of life, to listen, to learn. While so much information and knowledge generation is focused on those who are young, it is important to maintain our intergenerational bridges, in family, church, and community.
One tangible initiative of Schlegel Villages and the Research Institute for Aging is the ‘Elder Wisdom green bench’ (elderwisdom.ca) which offers and invites conversation between the generations. The more the world changes, the more we all need to listen and learn from one another. Whether you are a student, a senior, or someone in between, who can you connect with today?
