Mutual Respect

I really enjoyed my first session of teaching "The Letters of John" here at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. The class was lively with lots of laughter and noise.

The primary source of the noise is the young adults in the class. Of my 24 students, about half are college-age. So this class is a blend of older and younger. Before this class if you had asked these young adults whether they would like to be in a class with older women, I'll bet their answer would have been "no way." Yet, everyone seems to be benefiting from this old/young mixture.

The reason this old/young mixture works is because of mutual respect and appreciation for each other's gifts. Often, there is tension between the generations. Parents have high expectations of their young adult children. And, young adults want to break away from parental restrictions.

I hope the students in the course will see this class as a model for what is possible in their own families. Families are a blend of generations and mutual respect and appreciation for each other's gifts is essential if we are to enjoy being together.