Nicole Cavalino, Director, Nederland Area Seniors. As Mayor Larson proclaimed May 2021 as Older Americans Month at the May 18, 2021, Nederland Board of Trustees meeting, I could not help but think of two older adults who have shaped me with their wisdom, drawn from their own experiences in the full lives they lived: my grandparents.

My childhood summers were the highlight of my year. As other kids planned for summer camps and outdoor adventures, I eagerly anticipated spending my summer with my grandparents in their kitchen.

Each morning would start the same. The sun would be barely peeking through the drapes and we would already be at the kitchen table. My grandmother would adjust the dial radio to the local news as I sipped juice and smelled the sweet aroma of her percolator brewing their morning coffee. The city just outside the street facing window would be waking with us, as we planned our day over cereal and buttered toast.  

Visiting with the local butcher to put in our order for dinner was always our first stop. Then to the city park to feed the birds with the breadcrumbs the butcher always saved for me. At the park, I would swing on the monkey bars, twirl myself dizzy on the round-about and practice cartwheels, as my grandmother watched and encouraged every exciting new endeavor. 

Holding hands, we would swiftly walk across the busy street to the Middletown Plaza Senior Center.

A line of lawn chairs full of my grandmother’s friends stretched across the sidewalk to the entrance. As we approached, the sounds of love filled the air, “Ciao Bella, sei cresciuta cosi tano” (translation: Hello, pretty girl, you have grown so much).  With each hello, we would be greeted with open arms and double kisses. As an adult, I treasure those double kisses that would leave lipstick marks and the lingering smell of perfume on my cheeks.

Lunch was served as we all sat around a large table in the dining room hall. I would eat my lunch, listening to their stories of today and the days past, laughing along or holding silence when appropriate. After lunch we would collect our plates, thank the cooks and staff then head out to the bocce court for coffee, fresh Italian pastries, festive traditional music, and more story time. 

Eventually we would take the walk back home, stopping at the bakery and butcher to pick up our evening’s meal preparations. As we arrived home, my grandfather would be leaning on the stoop below their apartment with his cane and big smile. Together we would walk up the twisted stairway to their apartment, talk about our day and prepare dinner. My grandfather would slice the garlic and passionately explain the importance of technique, as my grandmother set the radio to the delightful music of Luciano Pavarotti or Dean Martin. 

After dinner, my grandmother and I would clean up the kitchen as my grandfather retired to his room. We would all get ready for an early bedtime, then each say “I love you” and “goodnight”.  

My Nonna slept on the right side and me on the left.  Each night we would get into her queen size bed, face each-other and talk until our eyelids shut. Some nights, we would laugh ourselves to sleep as my grandmother shared adventure and mishap stories of her and her sisters growing up in Harlem, while my grandfather would yell from the other room for us to stop laughing and go to sleep. Other nights tears would swell in both our eyes as my grandmother would share memories of hard times of loss, great despair and lessons learned.

As I got older, my grandmother’s bed seemed to get smaller and smaller, but her stories continued. I am blessed to have shared my grandmother’s bed on each treasured visit until I was 35 years old. 

Intergenerational relationships have a value beyond our comprehension. The lessons I learned from my grandparents have provided me with a wealth of insight into my own life’s endeavors and the appreciation of multiple generations being involved in the continuing development of each of us every day.

Mountain Peak Life. Mountain Peak Life is an intergenerational program, hosted by Nederland Area Seniors and intended to provide a welcoming environment for all ages to meet, share stories, and learn from each other. 

As we begin to gather as a community, Nederland Area Seniors is preparing for our social activities to reconvene in Covid-safe environments. We welcome community members of all ages to our Mountain Peak Life activities and events, such as FDGD Pancake Breakfast, Community Dinners and the Holiday Mountain Market hosted at the Nederland Community Center.

Our monthly newsletter is distributed by email or postal mail.  To join our newsletter mailing list, call Nederland Area Seniors at 303-258-0799 or email mountainpeaklife.nas@gmail.com.

Find out more about Mountain Peak Life intergenerational activities by receiving our newsletter or visiting our website www.mountainpeaklife.org.

To read the May 2021 Older Americans Month Proclamation, visit the Town of Nederland website: www.nederlandco.org.

(Originally published in the May 27, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)