Wisdom Circle: Young and old come together in gratitude

When it comes to counting blessings, Carson City's youth and elderly found they had a lot in common. “I'm thankful for my family and neat friends and all the people who love me,” said Gail Jenkins, a resident of The Lodge, an assisted living facility. Chelsea Phillips, 15, had similar feelings of gratitude. “I know exactly what I'm thankful for,” she said. “I'm thankful for my friends and family.”Residents of The Lodge met Thursday with teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada as part of their twice monthly Wisdom Circle, a group to bring young and old together.“My teens look forward to this all week,” said Bridget Gordon, director of the Teen Club. “It's an amazing event the kids have really taken ownership of. The relationships between the elders and the teens is awesome.”Thursday's group discussion was dedicated to Thanksgiving and gratitude.It began with everybody naming his or her favorite Thanksgiving dish. Answers ranged from the typical stuffing and turkey to more untraditional fare including milk and rice and “mince meat pie with hard sauce, but without the mince meat pie.”In smaller groups, the youth interviewed the elderly about some of their favorite holiday memories. Those stories, along with others collected during the year, will be compiled into personal histories to be given to the senior citizens. The day ended with a slice of pie and a discussion of the things everyone was grateful for. “I'm thankful for people who are my friends and stand up for me when people are teasing me,” said Autumn Cuellar, 14. “I have cerebral palsy, so they think I'm weird for shaking and stuff.”Jenkins doesn't think that. “I don't think we even pay attention to it,” Jenkins said, as she helped the 14-year-old eat her apple pie. “She's a sweetheart, full of love. She's a joy to everybody.”Lodge resident Tiny Perondi found grace in the group. “It's nice with all these children around,” she said.