This month, I visited a local assisted living facility and had the honor of speaking to a group of 20 women, including a 101 year old! It was so fun and the Lord really graced our conversation.
I asked them about what life was like when they were growing up, what advice they'd give their younger selves, and what their thoughts are on the younger generation today…and they certainly didn't hold back!
I'll be sharing more on social media platforms soon, but here are some noteworthy responses to the question,
“Was life simpler when you were growing up?”
Sandra J. said:
-"I think it was a kinder time back then. Because people really knew each other. There was never a need to go out and find new friends because they were there where you lived. You took care of each other in a simple way – i.e. tell me what I need to do for you, or I'll make you dinner tonight, or I'll come over and do your laundry if you're not able to do it, or I'll give you a ride because you don't have a car."
Mary Jane C. said:
-“I used to just go out and play. I walked out to the river and threw stones in the river all by myself. My mother never worried about me. I came back, so I guess I was alright."
Wanda E. said:
-“Forty, fifty years ago, I got up, sat down, had a nice cup of coffee. The phone was on the wall. I was lucky if I could get the operator to get me through to somebody. The television didn’t go on because there was nothing on in the morning. It was a gentle time. And then by 11 o'clock, it was time to go outside and get out of the house.”
Noreen D. said:
-“There was a sense of belonging. You felt like you belonged someplace."
Yolanda O. said:
-"One of the realizations I had lately is about two words: the word love and the word happy. I was thinking about kids today who are always worried about if they’re loved. And when I was growing up, I never thought about it. I just took it for granted. Which meant something was going on right – in our homes, in our churches. The other word is happy. I never went around figuring out if I was happy or not. I came from a very simple family, working class people, Catholic school upbringing. But I was just busy living and doing and taking advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves. I don’t ever remember worrying about if I was loved or happy. I just lived."
Roma H. said:
-“A lot of things weren't simple. You didn't have a job. My dad got laid off during the depression. And it was two years before he had a steady job again. So there were some hard times. Maybe you had a tire on your car that couldn't be fixed. So your car just sat in the garage and maybe your neighbor would take you somewhere. So it was simpler in a way, but you really had to scramble to keep your family going.”
