GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 59

self. Courageous, unafraid of adversity, he knew England would prevail—and he knew how. In a way, we grandparents are like that, are we not? We’ve survived times we hope our grandchildren never experience. We made it. We know how. What we know may still be secret, or at least too complicated to tell children. Secret or not—why try to explain? We just know. Consequently, we can carry an authentic air of calm and self-assurance for our grandchildren, as Churchill did for England. Sociologists confirmed it in a survey of older adults earlier this year: As we age, we do find peace. “It seems to be a positive thing about aging,” says researcher John Mirowsky, age 59, of the University of Texas in Austin, “and the more balanced emotional state is something to be enjoyed rather than dreaded.” What about those days when you’re blue? That’s part of the same picture. “The key to old-age depression isn’t that older people have more negative emotions, but more passive ones,” says Mirowsky’s wife and colleague, Catherine Ross, age 54. “That’s what was feeding into higher levels of depression.” Passive? Is this about giving up? Or is it about wisdom and acceptance? Ross thinks it’s about experience. “The first time you encounter a new situation or something bad happens, it has more of an impact,” says Ross, “but the more you have experience, the less distressing it becomes.” In other words, happy or blue, not much surprises us anymore. We’re all a bit like Churchill. We know when to act and when we can’t. Give up? Never. Accept things as they are? Of course. Be calm and confident? Always. We can’t explain all of what we know. Why try? Someday, our children and grandchildren will know too. Meantime, while their parents are busy—we can be our grandchildren’s peace. Churchill never soft-pedaled what England faced. “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat,” he said in his first speech as prime minister. “We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind.” Throughout, however, Churchill urged calm. My own grandfather spread such calm without saying a word—rocking in his chair with a smoldering grin that made it look as though he’d just gotten away with something. In fact, he had. We all have. We’ve gotten away so far with this wild adventure called life. It’s not as if we can tell our grandchildren how. It’s rather something we can be for them. We can be their peace—the occasional bumblebee notwithstanding. And the next time that happens, I’ll try to be calmer. G We’re all a bit like Churchill. We know when to act and when we can’t. Give up? Never. Accept things as they are? Of course. Be calm and confident? Always. NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2008 GRAND 59

GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008

Grand Magazine - November/December 2008
Grand View
Contents
Isn't It Grand?
Grand Central
Ask Grand
Grand Gestures
Just So We Know
Full House-Full Heart-Full Time
First, Serve
On the Cover: Vice President-Elect Joe Biden
Incredibly Hip High-Tech Gifts
Foreign Exchange
Home (and Hungry!) for the Holidays
Being the Peace
Reunions
Together Time
Read Aloud
Grand Bazaar
Resources
Grand Finale
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Grand Magazine - November/December 2008
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Cover2
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 1
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Grand View
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 3
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Contents
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 5
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 6
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 7
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 8
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 9
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 10
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 11
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Isn't It Grand?
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 13
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 14
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Grand Central
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 16
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 17
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 18
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 19
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 20
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 21
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 22
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 23
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Ask Grand
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 25
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Grand Gestures
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 27
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Just So We Know
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 29
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 30
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 31
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Full House-Full Heart-Full Time
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 33
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 34
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 35
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - First, Serve
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 37
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 38
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 39
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - On the Cover: Vice President-Elect Joe Biden
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 41
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 42
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 43
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Incredibly Hip High-Tech Gifts
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 45
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 46
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 47
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Foreign Exchange
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 49
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 50
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 51
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Home (and Hungry!) for the Holidays
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 53
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 54
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 55
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 56
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 57
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Being the Peace
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 59
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Reunions
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 61
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 62
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 63
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 64
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 65
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Together Time
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 67
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Read Aloud
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 69
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 70
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 71
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Grand Bazaar
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 73
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 74
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 75
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Resources
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 77
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 78
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 79
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Grand Finale
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 81
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - 82
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Cover3
GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - Cover4
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