“I was taught by my grandfather anything that your mind can conceive, you can have. It's the reality.” - Lenny Kravitz
Ken Canfield described in one of his articles, "Grandparents are natural transmitters of values." Grandparents are like rays of sunshine after a storm, perhaps like dew drops at the hour of dawn. Grandparents are no less than a blessing and are the most valuable part of families and societies. They inherit values such as perseverance, loyalty, patience, and sacrifice, and are the epitome of knowledge that they pass on to future generations. Just like our parents, our grandparents also shower us with unconditional love and care which creates an atmosphere in which the child feels safe, secure and loved.
The comprehensive research conducted by Oxford University showed that when grandparents are involved in raising children, there is positive growth and it increases the well-being of the child and decreases emotional and behavioural problems. The presence of grandparents in any family helps the family to learn about their culture and traditions better which in return helps us to shape ourselves into better people which by extension brings us closer to our family roots.
Grandparents do not just impart knowledge to us but they impart wisdom, that they attained through the many experiences they had in life as they went through the cycle of life. Here are some of the life lessons from our grandparents that are even valid today:
1. Be a survivor in life
Photo credits: HansIndia
Sometimes our problems seem like it's the end of the world and the situation seems inescapable, as we enter a state of panic and are vulnerable to making bad decisions. That is when our grandparents come into the picture. They have been through the phases of life that their grandchild is going through long ago. They teach us how to be a survivor and how to remain calm even in the most distressful situation and how to develop a calm and calculated approach towards our problems which helps us find the solution to our problems. They inspire you and motivate you to fight and make you understand that if they can survive the hardest times, then so can you.
2. Always be welcoming
Grandparents are always warm and welcoming not just to their families but towards people in general. They always make us feel at home and resonate with calm, comforting, relaxing and pleasant vibrations, which teaches us to always be warm and welcoming towards our guests. This has an effect on society as a whole and helps us build strong relationships with others and helps make the world a better place through the collective efforts of the people involved in it.
“Laughter is the best medicine.” (Picture credit-family search)
3. Never stop learning
Grandparents still love to learn new things from us. In fact, they enjoy learning new things most of the time. They love to discover things and motivate us to do so throughout our lives and in the process, we end up teaching them about the modern-day conundrums and they wind up teaching us morals, values, culture and discourse of a lifetime. Their philosophy and life journey inspire us to ace all our problems and be victorious in life. They teach us the power of knowledge and how we can apply it in our day-to-day life.
4. Life is too short
One thing our grandparents always tell us is to learn, explore and enjoy our lives. To seek knowledge and chase experiences. To always get out of our comfort zones and experience life as it is. They always push us to try new things and teach us to never give up because life is too short and time is of important essence. We all have limited time and as we grow older, time seems to speed up. They always push us to get out of our comfort zone so we don't miss out on things and when we look back we look back with no regret but with a feeling of contentment and satisfaction with who we have become and what sort of life we have lived.
“One day at a time, and life would no longer feel like suffering.” (Picture credit-Bored panda)
5. Family is your biggest strength and your most prestigious asset
Their love for each and everyone in the family shows us how important our family is to us. They teach us to be helpful and kind towards every family member, showing the importance of the family in one's life. We should thank our grandparents for their teachings, unconditional love and care, and the enthusiastic support they provide us each time. They make us understand the importance of family and teach us how even if the world around you is crumbling down your family will always be there acting as a pillar of support and the foundation over which you can rebuild your empire.
6. Kindness
There is no one kinder than our grandparents. They compliment you whenever possible, spoil us with their treats, and provide us with a warm atmosphere. They teach us to be kind to everyone and spread love and positivity. They enable us with the set of principles and code of conduct that needs to be present in order for societies to function smoothly. They teach us how to be kind but also at the same time how not to let anyone take undue advantage of our kindness. Through the various experiences they had in their life they try to make us know about the outside world for all its demons and angels. Grandparents promote kindness because they believe in the magic of love and how even the most ominous instances can be tackled with logic, love and kindness. They do not just make us kind as a human but they make our souls kind by their wisdom and love.
Don't you love your Gramma and Grampa just a little bit more now that you know how much they affect your life positively?! Go give them a hug, it is more therapeutic for you, than it is for them!
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