When I was in Australia a little while ago, I met a delightful elderly couple, Priscilla and and Henry.
They shared some lessons with me that they have learned during their lives.
These lessons should be shared with our youth to assist them to live full, enjoyable and rewarding lives.
A delightful couple, Priscilla and Henry invited me to dinner when I was in Australia.
They live in my daughter’s neighbourhood.
They are like the matriarch and patriarch of the neighbourhood.
Priscilla, who is around 80 years old is from New Zealand and has lived in England as well.
Henry, who is 91 years old is from a Dutch family from Java. Java was a Dutch colony and is now part of Indonesia.
I asked if they had some lessons they have learned over the years to share with the younger generation.
Here is what they said.
[my comments follow in italics]
PRISCILLA:
Appreciate nature.Enjoy what nature offers such as the flowers, etc.
[Most of us spend very little time outside in nature. Doing so has many positive impacts on us. Let us encourage our youth to find time and opportunities to spend time in nature. There are enormous benefits.]
Nurture your friendships.
[To have a good and complete life we need social interaction. There are many studies showing that loneliness has negative impacts on us. Encourage youth to interact and find friends throughout their lives.]
Realize that it is not essential that everyone agrees with your opinion.
[We have our own opinions. Not everyone will agree on all topics. Learning how to empathize and see the other person’s viewpoint is important. This can nurture cooperation which enables us to solve problems.]
HENRY:
Do not be an ideologue.
[This is a person who is unpractical or idealistic. Their devotion to a cause may be intense and even excessive. This type of person can be difficult to work with and may cause problems. They can be disruptive. They may not make positive contributions to our communities. Let’s assist our youth to have positive effects on our communities.]
Tell the truth even when it is not easy.
[If we want to make a positive contribution to our world, being honest is paramount.]
Don’t believe everything you see or read.
[In today’s world there are so many opportunities to share false news or misinformation. Henry watches little television. He does not use the internet. Yet, he has learned to be careful about this over the years.]
LIFE-LONG LEARNING:
Priscilla and Henry are very inquisitive and continue to learn.
Life-long learning is a skill that we all can practice as it helps us lead a positive and satisfying life.
It was a pleasure to meet this couple.
I look forward to visiting with Priscilla and Henry when I return to Australia.
By sharing these lessons with our youth it will assist them to live full, enjoyable and rewarding lives.
This will enable more of them to become the leaders that our world needs.
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A PARENT’S GUIDE:
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The guide enables a person to be proactive in the success of a child’s future.
It contains activities to assist youth to gain critical soft skills.
They will become more resourceful and independent when they practice and gain these skills.
LOVELY. Thanks for sharing this Fred. In what part of Australia do they live?
They live in the south-eastern area near Melbourne.