Bridging the Age Gap

(Fair Use)

Ageism is often overlooked when discussing harmful “isms.”  Yet young and old harbor stereotypes about and against one another.

That’s why it’s so refreshing to witness a glowing intergenerational friendship.  And it doesn’t get more intergenerational than the bond between 99-year-old Mary O’Neill and two-year-old Benjamin Olson.

It all began during the pandemic, when Benjamin was unable to play with friends his own age.  His next-door neighbor Mary would then brighten his shrinking world with a wave from her window.

Pretty soon, these newfound friends were meeting by the property-line fence.  As the weather improved, they ventured onto Mary’s steps to “blow bubbles together.”  Mary gifted Benjamin with her late son’s “box of toy trucks” that had been sheltered for years in her basement.

May the circle be unbroken for these unlikely BFFs.

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/pandemic-leads-to-unlikely-friendship-between-toddler-and-99-year-old-neighbor/ar-AAMmXxg?ocid=uxbndlbing

Copyright July 25, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved