Seeing Beyond Age to the Stories Within

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One of the greatest joys of working with older adults is hearing their stories—the lives they’ve lived before I met them.

Norman, now 102, once flew planes in World War II. He was shot at in the air, took a bullet to the leg, and kept going.

Carol, a mother of three, took her young children to her family’s farm in Germany for a month so they could learn to milk cows, prepare food, and experience farm life firsthand.

Mary was a CIA agent. She also dated Elvis.

It’s easy to look at them now and see only the present—Norman with his walker and oxygen, Carol navigating assisted living with her own walker, Mary, who once lived a life of intrigue, now living with dementia and using a cane.

But they weren’t always like this.

What if we could see them as they once were? Would we treat them differently if we could glimpse Norman in his uniform, Carol on the farm with her children, or Mary during her days in the CIA?

Aging doesn’t erase who we are—it just adds to our story. And when we take the time to ask, to listen, and to truly see older adults for the lives they’ve led, we cultivate more empathy, more respect, and a deeper understanding that we are all on an aging journey. Some are just further along.

If you work with older adults, ask them about their past. You will be amazed at what you learn.