By Arne Lindberg

Senior's Scene

Looking at Relationship Building in COVID-19 Times

Jan 15, 2021 | 9:19 AM

Being asked as an “Elder Statesman” to contribute to John Fryter’s column was a bittersweet request. Being recognized as a statesman in our City is something I regard as a compliment, but throw in the elder part of the equation and then reality settles in.

Having been given the topic of “Seniors Interests” as a starting point, I have tried to piece together some ideas that hopefully some fellow seniors may fine interesting and applicable.

Throughout my career, and through many different life experiences I have always placed significant attention on developing, nurturing and maintaining relationships. Now one could trivialize this by grouping the notion of relationships under one very large umbrella. Some subscribe to that way of operating, but let’s try to expand on the singular descriptor to add some clarity and color.

Treating all people that you interact with in the same manner, with the same level of courtesy and respect, and doing “what is right” were modelled characteristics we grew up with. This became the foundation that relationships were built upon.

Relationships that absolutely scream for attention at this time in our lives, are the relationships we have with our friends, family, relatives, and personally, our grandchildren.

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Being isolated and quarantined affords us an opportunity to reach out in ways that were not practiced before. Zoom meetings, FaceTime chats, Messenger, Twitter, and a host of other platforms have us communicating in ways we never would have considered a short time ago.

We can’t do the face-to-face contacts, complete with the bear hugs, but we can maintain the relationships we so relished beforehand.

New Years Day had a group of about 25 of our cousins from across Canada sharing a Zoom visit, catching up on news and events from present time to quite a long time ago. We saw people we hadn’t seen for years, and sure shared a lot of laughs, and rekindled old relationships. We have now committed to doing the get togethers on a more regular basis, with plans of including more folks in the mix to make it even more interesting.

To focus on a relationship I want to nurture even more, is the relationship we share with our granddaughter in Victoria. My brother and I were talking about the kinds of memories that were significant when we remember our grandparents.

The stories they shared with us about their lives when they were young pups growing up, those stories kept us mesmerized and really stayed with us. Our grandfather settling in western Canada, travelling on a Red River cart, pulled by oxen. He lived to see men walking on the moon. My Dad’s father came from Sweden, leaving his young family at home, and travelled across country in a cattle car to make their home in Canada. These stories gained more importance as we grew older and learned to appreciate that our grandparents weren’t born old, and that at one time they were young men and women with hopes and dreams, just like us.

As grandparents, and seniors, it is so important that we share our stories of growing up with those wee folks that are such an important part of our distanced lives.

Right now, we may not see those events as meaningful or significant, because we were there. The changes we have been a part of in the last 50 years are unprecedented. We’ve been through the Cuban Missile crisis, Sputnik, men walking on the moon. We’ve even gone on dates with people we didn’t Google or Twitter beforehand to find out all about them before we met.

Do you remember the first McDonalds? How much did gas cost per gallon when you were in high school? How many rings was your phone number on your party line?

You’re more important than you think!

Your kids and grandkids really want to know about your life. You have a great story to share.

Now is the time.

You can grab your phone or your tablet, talk to them in person or send an e mail story. You don’t even need to learn to type, plug in the voice to text app and away you go. We have lots of time currently, and those young people would love to have you reach out and share with them the stories that make you who you are, and them who they are.

Being a senior right now can be an exciting time, or a tremendous pain in your nether regions.

The choice is all up to you.

Enjoy!!

Arne Lindberg is employed on a casual basis with the Department of Adult Education at Polytechnic and is a School Board Trustee with the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division. He is also a member of the Ranch Ehrlo board, the Community Service Center Board, the Joint City/School Board advisory committee, Provincial Public Complaints Commission, and is Notary Public and Marriage Commissioner.

This column is sponsored by MacKenzie Funeral Chapel and Crematorium – Compassionate care and impeccable service.

130 9th St. E, Prince Albert, SK

Phone: (306) 763-8488

https://mackenziechapel.ca/

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