Perhaps the best summary of the interview with my guest today is summed up in Jeremiah 1:4-8

4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;
   I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 
6 “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

Esther is a young lady I met four years ago, and through listening, mutual respect and intentionally finding time to be together, we have forged a relationship based on our mutual faith base, our love of dance, writing and good coffee as well as shared experiences. No doubt you are thinking that I am the mentor (as I am several decades her senior) and she is the mentee, right?  You just might be surprised to find out that those roles have switched back and forth over the course of the past four years.

I've learned more from Esther than I can list here, and we discuss some of those lessons in this episode. She reminds us that different generations can learn and grow together but as older people we need to do our best not to minimize the experiences of younger people. True, we may have gone through something similar but it was not the same. Listening for the differences while not saying things like, "Well, I know because I've been there," goes a long way in building lasting friendships and mentoring partnerships (on all sides).

Esther also reminds her generation that older people have a lot to offer and can help them through tough times, if the young are willing to learn. Although the experiences of older people are not precisely like the experiences of today's youth, she encourages her peers to learn from the experiences of another generation. 

Putting some of Esther's words into practice can only serve to help us come together and treat each other as if we really do belong to each other - because we do. Wise beyond her years, this kind, caring and loving young lady will restore your hope in our younger generation. And by hearing our story, maybe you too will choose to be mentored or to mentor.

To reach out to Stephen Ray Watts, the musician performing "If You Only Knew" on this episode, go to https://dotseroband.com

The website to connect with Laura Padgett is https://lauralpadgett.com