Too often, we leave our elders to fend for themselves. The people that cared for us for so many years are left to shop, clean, and get around on their own, even if they can't do it efficiently anymore.
Youth can often see elders as "unimportant" and find them to be a burden, but this is far from the case. We can learn so much from the people who came before us, and we should be listening to their advice and lessons rather than dismissing them as too old to be useful.
As we grow older, of course, we learn to cherish those who are aging in our lives, because we know that we don't have a lot of time left with them. It's something we learn as we mature, and something we want our kids to learn from us.
That's why when Jennifer Christopher Coker saw what was happening at her local Publix, she knew she had to share it.
Coker posted on Facebook about a recent experience she had while out shopping in Tifton, Georgia. She called it "one of the most beautiful scenes [to] unfold before my eyes."
"A young man, by the name of Roger, was helping an elderly gentleman in a motorized wheelchair," Coker wrote. "He had the man's shopping list and was helping him find his desired items."
According to Coker, "the elderly gentleman stopped the young man, that was hard at work and asked, 'Are you busy?' And Roger smiled politely and replied, 'No sir, how can I help you?' The elderly man then asked him for his help because he knew it would take him all night to find what he needed and manage to get the items in his cart if he tried to do it alone. Roger, without hesitating, told him he would be happy to help. There was no agitation in his tone for being interrupted. There was no rush to his walk to make the man feel like he was a burden. He made that man feel important. He was listening to the man talk and made sure to be attentive and answered with respect and manners."
The post instantly went viral, and Publix found out about Roger's helpful actions.
The post has been shared more than 25,000 across multiple Facebook pages, and it reminded people that there are, in fact, young people who were raised properly.
Coker posted her entire experience to the Publix Facebook page.
While it's easy for us to dismiss youth as disrespectful and rude, it's always important to remember that there are kind, caring, and willing-to-help kids out there who are just trying to figure out their way in life.