Speaking of the disparate voices of the young and the old
It's OK to feel NOT OK some of the time
It is alright to admit that to oneself. But what isn't right is to bottle it up or not share it with someone. Be vocal, speak up, journal about it, pick up the phone, reach out to someone, anyone - don’t be an island. Life and your time in it are too precious to be isolated.
Feeling secluded is unexpected as one hunkers down with loved ones, close family or significant others. Not surprisingly too many feel undervalued and dehumanized - as individual grapples with uncertain future, blurred social norms and debilitating health questions.
At home where parents and children cohabit after years of being apart - the generation divide becomes even more apparent in the reaction to the #Corona crisis. Parents err on the side of caution, overwhelmed by fear, constricted by routine and doggedly holding on to the belief that they know best. The younger generation skate right past to the other end of the spectrum.
Taking a Cue from Younger Generations
They are listening to podcasts, hosting zoom parties with their friends, finding new ways to fill their time and not letting their routine be bogged down by the cacophony of news!
Creating a tribe all their own - finding common ground with the old generation is often more challenging for the current generation. Unless they try to meet each other halfway - each generation feels more isolated even when they are together.
Curving out corners in households is like marking out turfs in the urban wilderness. Couches and kitchen counters are the new battleground for supremacy. Taking work conference calls in the bathroom is as kosher as hearing children and seeing pets in the background during goggle meet hangouts. Internet hogging is as real as that for fridge space now catering to various palettes. Meal times can both be fun and challenging depending on whom you ask and who answers - and never have the responsibility for household tasks been more blurred around the house.
The mother who insisted on keeping the kitchen sink free of dirty dishes all the time even if that was her only form of exercise while juggling calls and emails during work hours– while the son kept suggesting – it would be more efficient for it to be done at one go later in the day.
(Not) Going Against The Current
Would it ever be possible to get these ebbs and flows right without jeopardizing the basic family relationship itself at a time like this when everything is being called into question. And one is holding on to sanity by the thread of familiar routine and humdrum tasks.
Maintaining one’s own lucidity is important - it helps one get out of bed every morning and while being positive is not for the faint hearted, this is the time to work that muscle, add a dash of humor, oodles of kindness, a mountain of empathy and paste on a smile and put one foot in front of the other and just keep going - despite full sinks, crowded kitchen counters, cluttered couches, no makeup looks and outgrown haircuts.
At #Calmunication we believe that we will be the stronger, forge new paths with the new generation by our side - do you agree ?
We can't wait to hear back from you. Let ours not be the only voice in the wilderness.
We Are Stronger Together.
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