Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about generations.
It started, strangely enough, after I watched 13 Reasons Why. I loved high school, and when I look back, I remember friends, football games, activities and freedom.
But watching the series made me realize that my experience wasn’t everyone’s experience. Bullying, loneliness and mental health struggles weren’t invented by younger generations. Many of those things existed when I was growing up too.
I just didn’t see them.
Not long afterward, I spent several days surrounded by family members from different generations—and found myself questioning a few more assumptions.
My daughter immediately gravitated toward the Boomers.
Every time I turned around, she seemed to be sitting with a grandparent, listening to stories or sharing her own. They were patient. They were calm. They weren’t rushing anywhere.
As someone who tends to carry a little too much stress, I found myself appreciating their laid-back approach as well.
I also spent quite a bit of time talking with Gen Z young adults.
If I’m honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.
Like many people, I’ve read the headlines. The stories about younger generations being glued to their phones. The concerns about work ethic. The endless comparisons between generations.
What I found instead were thoughtful, conversational young adults.
They listened as older family members told stories about growing up. They shared their own experiences openly. They talked about careers, relationships, and mental health with a comfort I don’t remember my friends and I having at their age.
And I found that refreshing.
The message I remember growing up with felt very different.
Work hard. Push through. Don’t complain. Show up even when you’re sick. Take care of your responsibilities first.
There is value in those lessons.
But I also think there is value in some of the things I’ve seen younger generations approach differently.
The openness around mental health. The acceptance of differences. The willingness to question whether being constantly exhausted is really something to celebrate.
The Boomers I spent time with reminded me to slow down.
Gen Z reminded me to keep an open mind.
And my daughter reminded me that sometimes people connect best with those who see the world very differently from themselves.
As I drove home, I realized how many of my assumptions had been challenged.
About my own experiences.
About the people around me.
And about the generations I’d thought I understood.
Maybe every generation gets misunderstood by the generations that come before and after it.
The more time I spend with people of different ages, the less interested I become in deciding which generation did it best.
I’m much more interested in what we can learn from one another.
Maybe that’s one of the unexpected gifts of getting older.
Not that we finally have all the answers.
But that we slowly begin to realize how much we never saw in the first place.
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