No time to be sad

It wasn’t me, but my grandson Elo. When my beloved husband Aldo passed away, after 56 years together, I gave up for the first time in my life. I was tired of living, thinking that my life didn’t make sense anymore. I had spent the last 10 years taking care of him inside the house, and without Aldo, I felt lost

Elo noticed and he started to do everything, trying to cheer me up. “Please Granny, nobody wants to try the new pizza place, would you like to come with me?” or “Please Granny, I want to go to the second-hand shop, but it’s no fun going alone. Won’t you join me?”

One day Elo asked me to pose in front of his new camera, so that he could try it. Or at least that’s what he told me. And with that, my Instagram account was started.

A few days later he came by, bringing with him tons of messages of love and appreciation from all over the world. People asked me for advice and answering everybody has been the best medicine for my depression. It gave me the feeling of being useful again. All this brought back a childish sense of joy to my life. Now I have more than 100k grandsons and I love being the oldest influencer in Italy!

I love Instagram and social networks because it gives me the chance to keep in touch with younger people. And I have a lot to learn from the new generations. Several people have opened their heart to me, telling me their dreams and their fears, and I can say that the world is full of extraordinary people with inspiring stories.

In Vienna, there is a bar where retired people and students work together to fight loneliness in elderly people and boost intergenerational dialogues. In New York there is a makeup artist that, every Sunday, goes to a different retirement home visiting the old ladies to do their makeup, so that they feel beautiful and loved for a special day.

Overall, my favorite encounters are the ones that give me hope for a better world for all my granddaughters and grandsons.

I am happier to have found you, trust me!

My grandson slipped a disc last summer. He had a hernia operation and I was very sad watching him in all that pain. So, I began looking for solutions to his back pain. Elo spends several hours working by his desk and I wanted to give him the best chair ever. When I discovered Gravity, it was better than what I was hoping to find: extremely comfortable, stunning design, back-friendly and multifunctional.

You can use it as a kneeling chair by your desk, sit down for reading, recline when watching tv or lay all the way back to meditate or take a nap. Our Gravity chair is never empty: when Elo doesn’t use it, I do. After six months, I would say that sitting in Gravity is like an education for your back, and very helpful for pain. I’m just sorry that I didn’t try it before!

I agree. Objects can help us feel better and they can be keys to opening our best memories, like the madeleines of Proust.

The pieces I bring into my home have to be beautiful first of all, because we need beauty in our lives! Secondly, I prefer them to be colorful, I can feel the energy of colors even with my eyes closed. Last but not least, I look for handcrafted products, because they are often produced in a way that is better for both human beings and nature.

Whenever we buy something, we have to think about the economy, the workers’ conditions and the environment. In my opinion, it’s better to have one excellent piece that lasts a lifetime than lots of mediocre stuff.

Be strong and brave, the evil will pass away. In 90 years I have seen many things, from war to natural disasters, but I‘ve never faced any of them with the wellbeing and progress of today. My advice is to listen to the news twice a day and use the rest of the day for constructive and positive activities. Each of us can make a difference: make your grandparents proud of the sacrifices they have made for you.

What is something you know now that you wish you knew earlier?

Using social media. Being in touch with so many different people and discovering their inspiring stories has been so helpful to me, it’s something that supports my independence. I recommend it to all the elders like me!