Like it or not, Baby Boomers are aging. Nowhere is this more apparent than when returning to Florida from a summer with younger people up north. Gravity is taking hold. Body parts are drooping. The aches and pains of arthritis abound and every family, in some fashion, is impacted by serious conditions. The healthier ones empathize, but do so with fear, the fear that they, too, will be stricken in some fashion. So attention is paid to diets, exercise and gym activity or denial in an attempt to lessen the impact of nature’s course.

Meanwhile, the next generation, the children of boomers are in their career prime. They’re focused on taking over, building a sustainable enterprise, putting their mark on the business, and crafting a future to meet their goals and objectives. They’re also consumed with their children. Most are still in school and require the presence of their parents to attend to their needs.

So what is the responsibility of Next Gens to their parents? In family businesses, we often say that it’s vital for the younger generation to make sure their parents’ financial needs are met. For without this level of comfort, the senior generation will be unlikely to pass on the reins of the business. But their responsibility goes beyond that. Under the seniors’ gray hair and wrinkles lie decades of experience, victories and defeats, successes and failures. If we could only do a download of the contents that lie within.

The 5^th Commandment is typically translated as “Honor Your Father and Mother.” But it’s more than that. As much as the seniors try to reduce the negative effects of aging to live a longer and healthier life, they also want to perpetuate their values. They deserve to be heard.

We encourage families to make time for story-telling. Family Gatherings are the perfect setting. They provide the senior generation an opportunity to share life stories for the benefit of not only their children, but grandchildren as well. It’s from these stories that the family’s values get distilled and perhaps even endure.

So as you prepare your Thanksgiving plans, take time to think about the stories and values you want to pass on to your family.