Building Bridges

Building Bridges
Connections

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Our Elders - Listen - instructor's contribution

My students are creating blogs and I took the opportunity to join them in the experience

My friendship with May made the assignment easy. May is a pleasure and easy to talk to. She has not lost one bit of her individuality and it makes our conversations lively. She holds her own. May's age and her positive attitude is an inspiration. I hope that if I live to such a rich and ripe age that I am able to stay as warm and as considerate as Aunt May.

 Meet James.

James is a member of Friendship Center.  This center caters to the wise ones in our society. 
My interview with James, May, Alice and Loretta was an experience I will never forget.  I learned; I laughed; and I became a little wiser.  You will too I hope after listening to the precious words they shared with me.


I call her Aunt May.
May is an amazing woman.  She is a role model.  Can you believe it?  This young woman is 91 years old.   
 She is a real friend.  This woman listened to me when I was struggling with my mother's death.  Since then we've lost her sister and we both miss her.  Now, May and I sit and chat every Thursday afternoon.  And every Thursday I leave with more respect for the wisdom that comes with age.  Aunt May makes growing old seem easy.  A pain here and a pain there, but she doesn't let it stop her.  Always with a splash of color, Aunt May arrives at the Friendship Center and exhibits a strength and determination that she shares with others.


Listen to May.



The name



The story

The advice



James tells us about his amazing mother who had to leave school during the Depression of the 30's to work.  She then met his dad and fell in love.

May tells us about her brothers and sisters.




Loretta loves care giving.  She remembers her mother as loving and Loretta has three great sons.

Sshe
 Alice is a warm woman who is ready to laugh and share her wisdom.  Alice says be happy. She remembers growing up in the heart of a loving family.  In the video clip below Alice gives her advice.




Listen to Alice tell us about her mother.  Listen even closer to hear her advice to the young men and women today.

Thank you Alice, Loretta, James and May for welcoming me into your world.  Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your laughter.  It was a privilege.

1 comment:

  1. Those are such inspiring interviews/films you shared with us!!!
    I am at the school library and need better speaker or something to listen to them more cloearly so I can hear what they are kindly telling us during the interviews :)
    Your topic makes me want to talk to my grand mother back in Japan and ask her about her life
    and experiences (,,etc)!!
    I thank you Travelwoman, Alice, Loretta, James and May for sharing!
    Yuri

    ReplyDelete