No matter where you are at in life, you are always going to think that you know best. We often live with a mindset that makes it challenging to humble ourselves and realize that we do not know best. It is so difficult for us to know that we still have to live through plenty of highs and lows to gain wisdom in life, yet it is so crucial. So, I spoke with my grandparents, Lynn and Ralph Guarasci, about the changes in society throughout their lifetimes and the words of wisdom they offer for the youth.
My grandpa Ralph is the oldest of six children and graduated from Bishop Watterson High School in 1974. He played Division 1 Golf at The Ohio State University in college and graduated from OSU in 1978. He is now the owner of Insurance Agencies of Ohio and still working. To view Ralph’s information regarding his 2014 induction into the Ohio State University Hall of Fame, view: Ralph’s induction
My grandma Lynn is the oldest of three girls and graduated from Upper Arlington High School in 1975. She also attended The Ohio State University for college for two years.
My grandparents had three children together, and are now grandparents to six of us. With both of them growing up in the Worthington area and having lived here for so long, they have certainly experienced more of life than we have, and have a lot of advice to offer.
Being in their 60’s, a lot has changed about this world since my grandparents were teenagers. For example, Lynn shares that “sometimes it seems like people today converse better through typing rather than speaking. Things can get so misconstrued without sitting down face to face and talking. People seem more comfortable behind the screen than face to face.”
It is impossible for us to fully imagine what life would look like without our phones, but it is also impossible for us to deny the role that our cell phones play in our lives. Ralph adds: “Digital communication may be the most significant societal change in my lifetime. I miss verbal communication… handwritten notes too.”
To me, this feels like a sad and heavy change. Is our world moving away from pure human connection? Although it seems to feel like lack of real connection is our reality, we can fight it. We can bring back gestures like handwritten notes. After all, it is the little things that seem to matter the most.
In Lynn’s words, the biggest lesson she has learned is “to try and appreciate every day. Treasure the people that are important to you, for they are a gift. . . My sister passed away at a young age with three kids and losing her, while it was one of the hardest things I have experienced, gave me the gift of appreciation for all the wonderful people in my life. I try not to take anything or anyone for granted.” In my eyes, the way that my grandma treasures her family now clearly reveals the experience she had with losing her sister. Her intentionality demonstrates the life that she has lived so far.
On the other hand, Ralph has learned the most about perseverance. “When I was a junior in college, I decided not to play pro golf. I was a little discouraged at the time. I took the easy way out instead of working my way through to the other side,” Ralph shares. Though he took the opportunity to play collegiate golf at OSU, he did not move on to pro golf. Ralph shares that his game had stagnated: he wasn’t improving and was frustrated by it, so he decided to pursue his golf career no longer. Through his years in life, Ralph has looked back on this time wondering what would have happened if he persevered. He says that he doesn’t regret things, but he tends to wonder how his life could have looked. Surely, perseverance has become a more crucial part of his life since his college years.
Finally, Lynn and Ralph share their hopes and advice for the future.
In Lynn’s words, “my advice is to do things with love. Be thoughtful and think before you speak. I read somewhere that people will forget what you said to them and did for them, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
She also hopes “the world realizes that kindness, understanding, and acceptance, are so much more important than being judgmental and self righteous. I hope for the next generation that people can work together, accept each other’s differences, and be kind.”
Ralph offers: “My advice for your generation is to aim high. Refuse to be limited in what you can become and what you can accomplish.”
In my life, my grandparents are incredible role models to me. I see the way that my grandma Lynn lives out her advice in her life. I know there is not a person in my life that loves as strongly as she does and I know that she considers the feelings of others before her own. I see how my grandpa Ralph pushes all of us kids and grandkids to do our best all the time. Though I sometimes dread hearing him talk about my potential and “bright future,” I know that he believes in me more than anyone.
I would advise our generation to look at trusted people who have already lived more than we have. It is easy to get caught up in the current moments, but it is crucial to look to the past and let it define our future. This world is always focused on new advancements, but I think that oftentimes, the key is actually hidden in the simplicity of the past.
