Amanda Lamb: Golden years

Recently, on a shopping trip to the mall with my older daughter, we decided to stop for an ice cream break. It was a beautiful day and we found seats at a table in the middle of the pedestrian walkway. About a minute later, two ladies, who appeared to be in their 80s and were also enjoying ice cream, asked if they could join us.

"We won't bother you, I promise," one of the women said in a strong New York accent.

"No bother at all," I replied, honestly.

"Do you like that phone? Is it hard to use?" she asked after a few moments where we were all enamored by our ice cream cones that seemed to be melting in record time under the glare of the hot midday sun.

"Yes, I do!" I responded enthusiastically as one is prone to do about an iPhone.

And so it started. We talked about phones, iPads, technology in general, where we were from, and what a beautiful day it was.

My daughter, as a teenager is prone to do, mostly listened, but replied politely to their questions. They were genuinely interested in our opinions and thoughts, and I couldn't help but think how energetic and engaging they were.

I also mused about how great it was for my 14-year-old to be interacting with these lovely ladies who had so much wisdom to offer. There is something so precious about mixing people of different generations and allowing them to share their thoughts and insights in both directions. I felt so fortunate to have had this moment in our day.

When we left, we all said our goodbyes and shared how much we enjoyed meeting one another. And we meant it.

"That made my day, how about you?" I said to my daughter, who is not prone to expressing her feelings, as we walked to our car.

"Sure, they were nice," she replied, careful not to offer me too much in the way of real emotion. But it was good enough for me to know that she too had been touched by more than just the sun that afternoon.