{excerpt from a cookbook}

listenin' to the old folks

"I was raised to listen to the old folks. Mama and Daddy taught me that if someone older than you wants to share a bit of wisdom or tell you a story about the old days, you sit down and accept the gift. And so I have, all my life. I was so blessed to have a wealth of 'old folks' around me as a child and even now, to share stories, lessons they've learned, and little nuggets that I will always carry with me. 

Their generosity has forever altered the course of my life.

It's easy to see, then, why I can't understand how others do not see the wealth among them. Most folks will tell you that our greatest natural resource in out children, and while I'm a parent who loves her children dearly, I could not disagree more with that statement. Children may be our future, but the real resource is not so much those who are heading forward but those who are returning from the journey- the folks who are able to draw the maps.

What greater treasure can you hope for but the wisdom of someone who walked the same path before you. Oh sure, you may think that life is drastically different today than it used to be, but really, the essence it the same. The meaning is the same, we just have fancier accessories. We're kidding ourselves if we think we're so special that the basic lessons and wisdom of life are rendered obsolete. 

The most essential wisdom of life can only be gained from those older than us, our senior citizens. The folks whose faces we sometimes overlook amid the shiny, pulsing sparkle of youth. They walk at a slower pace, their eyes busy noticing details that escape our hurried glances, and their gait is one of quiet wisdom, knowing that life does not move with the ebb and flow of our schedules but with the giving and taking of breaths. 

Each day, we're surrounded by these amazing people. Show them the respect they deserve. Look upon their kind eyes and wrinkled skin with awe. Take a moment to get to know them, to return their smile and slow down enough to allow them to speak. 

Whether you are raising kids, choosing a career, of just struggling through the daily business of life, if you're moving into the place they once occupied in this world, it only makes sense to ask them for the key."

Yup, this came from a cookbook. Southern Plate, by Christy Jordan. I like what she says about their wrinkles, looking on them with awe. I think the each wrinkle on an older person's face and hands stand for a story or time of their life. Take time to listen.