I’d like to put our challenges of today into perspective. This is a picture of my late grandmother, Ida Lederer, who was born on May 13, 1900, and died March 11, 1990.
I love this picture because in the background are the Frank Netter anatomy books that she bought for me when I graduated medical school. She was so proud of me. I’m named after her late husband, Raymond Lederer, who died in 1957 when my mother was pregnant with me. Remarkably, I was born on his birthday and went on to become the first doctor in the family.
Perhaps you’ve seen the videos or posts that list what a person born in 1900 went through during their lifetime to survive. For me, that list is particularly poignant knowing the strength of my grandmother, who was indeed born in 1900 –and, who taught school well into her 70’s, gave talks at Girls High in Philadelphia well into her 80’s. A woman, who, after my grandfather died, went back to school and obtained a Masters Degree in Education at age 52 –quite a big deal for a woman at that time.
Imagine what Ida had to face in her lifetime…
At the age of 14, World War I began and ended when she turned 18, with 22 million people killed around the world.
At the age of 18, the Spanish Flu began and ended when she turned 20, with 50 million people killed around the world.
At the age of 29, the New York Stock Exchange collapsed leading to the Great Depression and global economic demise that continued 11 years, all through her 30’s, while she raised children and worked fulltime.
At the age of 33, the Nazis came to power. Being of German Jewish descent, imagine the fear she felt for her family.
At the age of 39, World War II began and ended when she turned 44, with 60 million people killed around the world, including 6 million Jews in the Holocaust.
At the age of 52, the Korean War began and at the age of 64, the Vietnam War began and didn’t end until she was 75 years old.
The list goes on… but the point is that every generation faces wars, hardships, disease, and catastrophes. In so many ways, we have more comforts and protections today than my grandmother ever had.
As a child, my grandmother had no air conditioning, no television, and certainly no antibiotics or vaccines. The first commercial air flight wasn’t until 1914. Even telephones were considered relatively new technology at the time.
Today, we’re blessed with advanced computer technologies, satellite communication systems, and quality healthcare –all accelerating faster and faster, with new discoveries occurring almost by the minute.
Yet, we struggle. We are filled with fear and anger. We fight and we resist, seemingly everything and everyone. I’m sure if our grandparents and ancestors could tell us, they would want us to find common ground and overcome the challenges that we face today –and to do it together.
One thing is certain… there will be many more challenges in the years and decades ahead for our children and our grandchildren.
We can take this moment and show our children just how strong we can be together… how to take ownership and responsibility… how to treat others with respect and dignity… how to overcome adversity… just as my parents and my grandparents did for me.
I believe we can… 🙏
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