There Are Always New Things to be Learned.
What Is A Mentor?
I am a girl whose mind wanders a bit.
Yesterday, I was talking to one of my mother-in-laws (I have 2).
At one point she said, “You are just so smart!”
And my instant reaction was to say, “No, I’m not, I just know how to do such and such”.
I don’t even remember what we were talking about, but it made me smile.

There Are Mentors Ready All Around Us…
I learned something new from my daughter this week.
She’s really good at knowing about new apps that I should try, and she is most definitely what I’d call a creative strategist.
I also have a new young blogging friend who is going to do big things…
(my gut tells me this).
And she, like Des, loves to read, learn, and share things with others as well.
This got me thinking.

What is a Mentor? Mom? Daughter? Both!
I think of the time I helped my mom get back into her email account
because for some reason, her platform likes to change things about every 6 months!
She was so thankful she had such a “smart daughter”.
But it’s not that I’m smart, it’s that I am from a generation who is, perhaps, a bit more
advanced in the area of technology!

What Is A Mentor? (Redefined)
We have all been blessed by multigenerational learning!
That’s kind of a mouthful but…
How cool is that?
I love the fact that we can continue to learn from those who came before us
and…
those who have come after us!
(Love, love, love).
I decided to jot down a few notes…

What Is a Mentor? Where do I begin?
When I think of my family, I can easily say,
My mom taught me kindness, compassion, and so many life skills.
If I had been more patient, she would have taught me how to sew…
(She used to be quite the seamstress!).
My dad taught me my multiplication tables before other kids my age knew how to
do them… (among other things).
Grama J. taught me how to crochet (and I love that I still have one of her afghans).

Grama D. taught me about gardening.
Uncle Bob taught me “real writers” need to write every day.
Mr. Vid taught me how to be a leader.
And Mr. R (aka Jim Roberts) taught me everything I know about business.
But I have also learned a lot from the newest generation.

Destiny is my go-to-person for techy stuff,
Tyler has taught me about video editing,
and the list goes on!
Hugs and kisses to all of my “mentors” along the way!
(I appreciate you!).

My Mentor “aha” Moment
Upon this realization, I decided I had to dig into the subject a little bit.
I knew I’d “need” to create a graphic (because you guys know I love my Canva app!),
and I just “had” to write a blog post about it too!
(Of course).

Traditional Mentorship Has Changed
Think about how families used to be on Sundays (specifically).
Traditional Sunday family dinners used to take place where the next generation
learned cooking, serving, and hosting skills, and maybe how to set a table.
We learned that a napkin should be placed on our laps.

Siblings and cousins played in the yard together and learned how to share.
The “guys” tinkered on things in the garage and the younger generation watched.
Many attended church together.
Family day.

There’s no time like the present to reach out to a family member to say hello,
I love you, and “thank you” for something they’ve taught you.
A call or a personally written note would be lovely.
(And they will love hearing from you).

Can You Mentor Someone?
Now think of the skills that YOU have to share with others… and share them.
You will be blessing someone, but moreover, you will be blessing yourself!
It feels good to share knowledge and it helps us have a very special purpose in life.
(That’s what life is all about).
And be sure to stay open-minded to our older and younger generations!
We can STILL learn a lot from them!

I would love to hear what you think about the term “multigenerational learning”.
Or using the simpler word “mentor” would be fine as well. (wink, wink).
You know I love stories!
Tell me about the things you’ve learned from other generations and what it has meant to you.
And if you so desire, I’d love to hear how you mentor others!
Fondly, Kim 🙂
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