The first month of 2022 is over already, and we finally had a snowstorm. As I did my daily 2 mile walk in the snow today, I reflected on the beautiful weekend we had and what a beautiful sunset graced the end of the blizzard of January 2022. As a family of weather nerds, our texting went into high gear starting late last week, sharing predicted snowfalls and wind speeds to prepare each other. We were just as confused as the weather professionals, as it was not clear who was getting how much snow and wind. Fortunately, we all escaped without power outages or other major challenges. Hopefully, not too many people suffered across the Eastern Seaboard. I just love how my kids get so excited about the weather, as I do too! Given that we live in an area with four seasons, we have so much to observe and appreciate about weather, one aspect of our magnificent nature. So, I see weather nerds as nature lovers through and through.
Each kid called and asked how I was, and where I would be as my husband is still in Pakistan. Their worry and concern for me was too sweet and touched my heart! I remind my kids how they used to roll in the snow or run outside in a rainstorm just out of sheer joy, and the grandkids have inherited that passion for outdoors and nature. So many neighbors and friends called and texted to see how I was doing and if I needed anything, sending over soup, halwa, offering snow removal and garbage can handling or just checking in. It is a testament how beautiful communities can be if we all share and give.
More importantly, I really relished my senior citizen status. In Eastern cultures elders are respected and honored by younger generations. Kids are trained from the beginning to greet elders first, and in some cultures as Turkey, Afghanistan, etc. respect is shown visibly by kissing the elders’ hands as a form of respect. This custom is also carried on in Sufi circles to show respect to elders and spiritual teachers. Many movies and dramas show the positive and negative side of it, especially Pakistani TV dramas that often feature nasty mother-in-laws. I am reading a novel by Afghani-American Nadia Hashimi called “The Pearl that broke its shell”, and every single mother-in-law is depicted as a witch! I do hope that this is not really the case in real life. But the positive side certainly outweighs the negative side, as so much is gained by remaining close as multiple generations. Many studies support the benefits of grandparents involvement in their grandchildren’s upbringing.
Beyond the parenting, there is an opportunity to leverage the wisdom of older generations in many ways. As America ages, we must continue to find ways to share that wisdom in a way that honors the past, while allowing for change and innovation. For now I continue to enjoy my status and cannot wait for the next snowstorm to do it all over again!
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