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It’s hard to grow old…older…whatever. I know I’m only 33. ONLY. But seriously, to my kids, I am the crypt-keeper!
Supposedly with age, comes maturity. So why does it feel sometimes like we are still living in high school? It is amazing to me to observe how much people DON’T change as well as how much we do change. We have all been victims of catty behavior, jealousy, and back-stabbing at some point in our lives. And, let’s be honest, we have all been the antagonist as well at some point. How do we teach our kids when the “grown-ups” are some of the worst examples out there?
Here are some things I have learned with AGE:
- Passive-aggression is something adults have mastered! But most of us can see it a mile away. You are not as clever as you think you are. And we are still offended by it.
- When you have to begin a phrase with, “No offense, but…,” you probably shouldn’t say it. Guess what? It’s offensive. Did you forget the old rule, “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all?”
- Grown-ups “tattle” too. They just do it with a sense of self-justification that kids lack. But it is still tattling. And it is still immature.
- The best revenge is still to “Kill them with kindness.”
- We don’t know near as much as we think we do.
At the end of the day, we can’t change how people treat us. So my new year’s resolution is to make sure I am being the best person I can be. This has nothing to do with losing weight or giving up soda or blah blah. To me, this means that I am revitalizing some of the most classic and simple advice ever doled out to humanity:
- Treat others as you would like to be treated. Notice how this statement says nothing about controlling how others treat you? Think about it.
- Leave well enough alone.
- Choose your battles wisely.
- Laugh at least once a day.
- Be grateful.
Forever is simply today, over and over again, so make today a good one.
Shannon Eagle is the Marketing and Development Assistant at Snyder Village in Metamora, IL. "I have a passion for writing and enjoy working with the diverse group of people at Snyder Village. I chose this topic because I work every day with people of all ages. Working with the independent retirement residents are like having grandparents looking after me all day long," Eagle said.
