Last week I began a series of blogs on the variety of relationships we need to have in our lives, as well as the roles we play in the lives of others. This week I’m going to discuss the teachers in our lives. These are those folks that pour into us, mentors, coaches, older friends who have gone before us in life and know how to help us walk through life in a way that is healthy and beneficial. Sometimes they walk with us through most of our lives, sometimes they are there for a season or just one lesson.
A little over a year ago I moved to a new state and found myself needing to build relationships with teacher type friends again. I don’t mean friends with those who teach school - though I’ve done that too - I mean making friends with those who are older than me, who have life experiences and wisdom that I can learn from. There is so much wealth of knowledge in those who have come before us, who have seen life through many decades, and who are willing to let us pick their brains and learn from their experiences that we may make better choices.
The older I get the more aware I am of my role as a teacher in the lives of those younger than me and find myself impressed by those who understand they need older women in their lives. As a society we used to live in community with people of all ages, but modern life has us locked into peer groups with work being one of the few places we might have a variety of ages around us. I am also aware of how much these younger gals give back to me, what a blessing to have reciprocal teaching. As an older mentor/teacher friend I am able to take the lessons, the important experiences, and share them in a productive way so that my young friends can avoid some of the problems I had, which is a gift to them, and a gift to me to use what felt like a horrible mess to benefit of others.
I challenge you to take a moment to assess the type of friends that you have, who pours into you? Whom do you pour into? If you are lacking these kinds of friends, ask yourself what keeps you from developing such relationships?
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