How has no one thought of this until now? Once upon a time, this is how communities worked. Extended families living together; the elderly look after the young and teach then the wisdom of their years. The young learning to treat their elders with respect. Everyone still being an included and essential part of society.

Now, obviously, not all older individuals are going to want to spend their time with children. Some people just don’t like kids.

But for those individuals that don’t have families; whose friends have passed before they have; who want a new purpose, even though they’ve stepped out of the work force; and for the children who may not have access to that old generation in their home lives this is a pretty special experience.

I love this story from the filmaker:

“Over the course of the months I was filming at the Mount, I observed many incredible exchanges between residents and kids. Some were sweet, some awkward, some funny- all of them poignant and heartbreakingly real. One experience in particular occurred during a morning visit between the toddler classroom and several residents who had gathered to sing songs together. Everyone had just finished a rendition of “You Are My Sunshine” when one of the residents began to share a memory he had of singing that very same song late at night on a bus full of soldiers while serving overseas during World War II.

The clarity with which this gentleman recalled this era of his life so many years ago was breathtaking- the memory seeming to appear before his eyes as he spoke. And though the kids were too young to understand his words, the fact that their presence provided a catalyst for his recollection just seemed to fit in a ‘circle of life’ kind of way.”

Go to http://kck.st/1Jikht4 to support this film. And talk to the people around you, young and old, to see how we can maybe make something like this a reality here in Winnipeg for our families.

 

(via Present Perfect Film)