Grandma Gems - Advice for Young Adults

My Grandma was born at least 40 years before her time.

Born in a time when Marilyn  Monroe's figure was the template and my grandma's nearly six foot, size 2, busty frame was scoffed at. She stood for women's rights before there was a platform and ... before it was 'cool'.

This slim, modern bomb-shell desired to go into the military in the mid-fifties primarily because she wanted to travel.

With her parents' 'guidance' she did not go into the military and followed her second passion- to have a family.

Many years pass and I ask her many questions about her experiences and lessons in life . . .

I get so emotional when I drink wine and I turn into a puddle when I discuss what I love and appreciate about my Grandma as we have a lovely visit at the local winery . . . and I dare to ask what she would share as guidance to those who are at the point of life of wanting to 'settle down'.

It's funny, as I went to take notes in my iPhone, Siri corrected my common annotation of Gma to 'gems'. Indeed . . . these are Gma's Gem's of notes.

She said first of all:

"Don't mistake sex for love."

This doesn't take any explanation.

. . . and then she shares another grand-motherly aphorism that may need a little more explanation . . .

"Don't mistake youthful exuberance for love."

. . . that is, you may be youthful and full of hormones vim and vigor (and you really don't know otherwise at this point, but if you feel a bit like superhero you may be in this stage) and eager to show/prove your parents wrong or otherwise, but be careful in letting that cloud your judgement and skew your feelings.

It's absolutely wonderful to be swept of your feet, but it's difficult to make grounded decisions in this state. See, we even have this reasoning in our common vernacular.

Perhaps I'm sharing these Gma gems with 'the choir', but it's a great topic to put out there for conversation.

So, how about you? What would you suggest as the most valuable lessons to those many years younger than you- launching into their lives, as you approach your 8th decade of life?

Sometimes our best guidance can come from imagining the counsel from our future self . . .