Every old person knows what it is to be young, but no young person can know what it is to be old.
That one hit me right in the gut.
There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my parents. I love them so much it hurts sometimes.
And middle-aged, overly curious, health-and-happiness-focused me has it all figured out for them.
Except… I don’t.
I catch myself interpreting their experience through my own lens. And it doesn’t translate.
What do I know about being in my 70s or 80s?
The lady in front of me at the grocery store? The man at the bus stop. About a life I haven’t lived.
If 20-year-old me tried to tell me which end is up, I know exactly how that conversation would go.
She wouldn’t stand a chance.
Same confidence. Different decade. Just as misguided.
And once I noticed it, I started seeing it everywhere.
I saw it unfold in front of me over the last two days.
Our clients. Financial advisors. A boutique firm with equal parts empathy and craftsmanship.
We sat in a room talking about their clients.
What they need. What they value. How they feel. And then we asked them directly.
We talked about peace of mind.
Jay and Janet talked about traveling the country to watch their grandkids play college football. It’s in their DNA.
We talked about managing finances.
Kelly talked about losing her husband and suddenly being in the driver’s seat… but not alone.
We talked about retirement planning.
Becky and Al talked about what happens when work is no longer who you are… and realizing the plan gave them the freedom to choose what’s next.
Same work. Different experience.
We experience the world through our own filters.
Even with the best intentions, that creates gaps.
Assumptions.
Misinterpretation.
Distance.
Judgment.
We think we understand.
But we’re often just… interpreting.
Where are your assumptions taking you?
Mom, Dad… it’s your journey.
I don’t know what it feels like to live it. But I’m here to listen.
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Each week, I share something I’m learning, living, or working out in real time. It’s part storytelling, part reflection. I hope there’s something in it for you too.
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