With my wifewe have always tried to educate our children to respect for the elderly and to have patience with more seasoned relatives, when they are a bit… boring.
But the other evening I was surprised by the 10 year old girl who was watching the comments on our victory with me Sinner at the Davis Cup.
“Dad”, he told me, «this Pietrangeli is just like his grandfather: stern, never pays you a compliment. It is not true that all elderly people are good.”
Aside from the laugh about the resentful old tennis player – which I agree with – it made me think that she too realized how my father always be critical of me and only tell episodes of my childhood and youth in which I do bad figure…
Yes, maybe not all old people are good!
JULIUS
Answer by Renata Maderna
– Dear Giulio,
I believe you can continue to teach your children the respect and the treatment for all elderly people. This will surely lead your daughter to help the Pietrangeli on duty to cross the road if you need to.
But that doesn’t mean you have to share them spiteful thoughts!
As far as your father is concerned, however, I think it’s something else entirely: perhaps difficulties express your feelingsor the tendency to take love for children for granted, which did not need to be said at any time other than today.
I would like to take inspiration from this reflection to invite you to one too effortwhich I have imposed on myself for some time. Maybe a good resolution for the coming year: Don’t think in categories.
The old people all sweet and wise?
Are young people all lazy?
Good and brave women?
Are mothers all anxious?
And then the teachers, the journalists, the priests?
Let’s get back to talking about people: individuals with their own name, their own behavior, and their own actions and responsibilities.
Also because it’s difficult to love someone faceless categorywhile looking into another’s eyes should do better.
