In the modern, fast paced and tech driven world we live in, we often forget the wisdom of our beloved elders. Our elders carry a lifetime of experiences and lessons that we can learn more from than any online tutorial. Our elders have lived through change and have seen the world transform in ways the rest of us can only imagine – from handwritten letters to instant text messages. The advice and lessons they can offer come from a lifetime of experience. They carry traditions and stories that may not even be recorded anywhere else. In a world where everything is “now, now, now”, our elders teach us patience, perseverance, and gratitude.Our elders didn’t grow up with instant results, they know what it means to work, wait, fail and try again. This is something we can all learn a lot from. Through their life experiences they can provide us very good insights on handling various conflicts.
To truly learn from our elders we have to take initiative. This can start with simple open ended questions such as, “What was your life like at my age?”. Pay attention to them without interrupting, even if you don’t agree with everything they say, show respect for their words. Although do not forget, learning also comes with casual conversations and not just interviews.
While in Islam it does not explicitly say we should learn from our elders, we are taught to deeply respect them. Learning from them and showing them we value their time and wisdom is a notable way to fulfill this.
“He is not one of us who does not show mercy to our young ones and respect to our elders.”
— Sunan Abu Dawood 49:43
Wisdom shared by our elders isn’t always loud or attention seeking, it often comes quietly through reflections of their own life. This wisdom is ingrained in the lessons and stories they share with us.
