Fostering Intergenerational Connections

Growing up in Selma, Alabama, I remember attending an elementary school that was nearby a nursing home. We would walk to that nursing home during fire drills, bomb threats, or from time to time, as a class to visit with the seniors our school “adopted” to sing songs for them, play games with them, or share heartfelt arts and crafts we made a handful of times throughout the year. 

Although these types of experiences aren’t something one can fully grasp as a child, what I do remember is the undeniable joy it brought to the faces of those residents. I remember the warmth they would say such visits would bring to them and how it would be the highlight of their day. And in hindsight, I believe experiences like those helped to shape me to better appreciate taking the time to connect with people from all walks of life and at various stages in life. I learned that one never knows the positive impacts they can have on someone and sometimes people just like when others can lend an ear to listen.

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