Cross-Generational Breakfast Saturday Precedes National Grandparents Day Sunday

The is holding its Saturday to support the City of Enumclaw’s Youth Center at (EYFS) next door.

Chow down on pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage for just $5 per person. Entertainment will be provided by Enumclaw’s own bluegrass band, Original Recipe.

According to EYFS, the Youth Center services more than 7,500 youth visits each year and offers a safe and supportive after-school and summer program. The agency has managed the Youth Center since its inception in 1980.

The Youth Center and the Senior Activity Center share a common building on Cole Street which over the years has made for a wonderful blending of generations at the site.

Hopefully attendees at Saturday's breakfast will take advantage of the opportunity to learn from each other particularly as National Grandparents Day occurs the next day, Sunday, Sept. 9. Even if you're not related by blood, sitting down with an elder and learning about their life is a great way to spend a Saturday morning. I certainly enjoyed meeting a number of local veterans when I put together .

If you're lucky enough to have a grandparent or two nearby, why not celebrate by visiting them and capturing some life history and wisdom for future generations?

Bellevue-based counselor Paul Zohav served as the former chaplain in the Philadelphia Geriatric Center and the community chaplain for Jewish Family Services of Greater Harrisburg. Through his experience, Zohav learned grandparents are the bridge between the generations that came before them and those to follow.

“They often have answers from wisdom acquired from a lifetime of learning that can help someone not yet born,” says Zohav. 

But capturing this information to preserve it for future generations is often a challenge. Some families try to preserve family history by interviewing a grandparent on camera. Others give blank journals or “memory books” to grandparents.

Inspired by years serving elderly patients and watching families struggle to capture memories and remain deeply connected through several generations, Zohav created The Life Book. The book is a binder system of pages designed to prompt and capture memories and wisdom that grandparents can work on by themselves or with their children and grandchildren. The book also holds photos, important documents and even helps grandparents with the daunting task of downsizing to a smaller home or an assisted living facility.

Zohav says that too often grandparents also have challenges connecting with the younger generation. The book offers intergenerational conversation starters, such as, “What do you wish you knew then that you know now?”

Zohav says the task of sharing a life story can be overwhelming, but with some support from family and friends, a grandparent's legacy can be passed down to generations to come.

“You don’t have to do it all at once, just get started before it is too late,” said Zohav. 

TELL US: What is something you and your family would like to share with future generations? Document it by telling us in the comments below.