Loving Our Elders Through Life’s Changing Seasons | Love Talk
- Prepare for transitions by having difficult conversations early, not out of fear but care.
- Extend grace as elders process aging, loss, and uncertainty in new ways.
- Prioritize healthy communication to prevent family discord during grief and transitions.
Lately, love has been on my mind in a very specific way. Not the romantic kind, not the flashy kind, but the deep, sometimes uncomfortable kind of love that shows up when people you care about are getting older and life starts shifting in ways you can’t ignore.
I recently had a late breakfast that turned into lunch with some friends, and the conversation naturally drifted toward our parents aging. We talked about how challenging it can be to love them well in this season of life. Let’s be honest, parents don’t always want to listen, especially when the roles start reversing. But as we laughed, we also realized something humbling: this might just be payback for all those years when we didn’t listen to them as kids.
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What really stayed with me was the idea that love looks like preparation. It looks like having hard conversations early, not out of fear, but out of care. Talking about what comes next, what transitions might look like, and how things should be handled isn’t morbid. It’s loving. It’s making sure that when the pain of loss comes, there isn’t unnecessary confusion added to the grief.
One thing I shared with my friends is this: we often say our elders have “changed.” But the truth is, they’ve never been this age before. They’ve never died before. Processing aging, loss, and uncertainty is new territory for them, just like it’s new for us. That realization calls for grace. A lot of it. Grace in how we speak, how we respond, and how we show up.
I’ve seen firsthand how families can unravel after someone passes. Funerals, property, money, old wounds resurfacing—it can all turn into chaos if love isn’t the anchor. Scripture tells us to love our neighbor, and that absolutely includes our family. Yes, even the cousins, the aunts, the ones you don’t always agree with. Being a believer means choosing love even when it’s inconvenient.
I’ve personally been navigating the long, emotional process of closing out my grandmother’s house for nearly a decade. It hasn’t been easy. But I’ve learned that God truly can give you the right words at the right time for the right person. Love doesn’t mean avoiding conflict; it means committing to healthy communication so no one feels alone while grieving.
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As my aunts get older, I won’t pretend this season is easy. It’s overwhelming at times. But I’ve made a promise to honor them, to love them, and to keep communication healthy in our family. That’s why we started something called Cousins Weekend—a time to laugh, talk, check in, and stay connected. All of it is rooted in love.
My prayer is that as elders transition, families don’t fall apart. That traditions don’t die. That prayer doesn’t stop. That church, faith, and love remain the glue holding generations together.
So today, my love talk is simple: love your elders. Prepare better. Extend grace. And be the person who holds the family together so the next generation can see the beauty of where they come from.
I love you, and I mean it.
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Loving Our Elders Through Life’s Changing Seasons | Love Talk was originally published on getuperica.com
