In life, everyone makes mistakes. Though our missteps serve as valuable lessons, I know many of us have wished we could go back and do some things differently. But what if there was a way to get ahead of the curve and mitigate some of those mistakes? I interviewed multiple senior citizens in the Farmington area to hopefully gain meaningful insight and lessons to help us navigate life. 

Berdine Mann is 83 years old and grew up in the Farmington area her whole life. She worked at a drive-up in Kaysville and attended Davis High school, where she met her future husband in choir class. Berdine thinks the most rewarding thing about getting older is watching her children grow into good people. She also encourages people to leap over things that don’t matter and not get upset over life. 

“I wish with all my heart that I could talk to my mother and wish I could ask more questions. If you have a mother, ask her questions and learn her wisdom,” Berdine said. 

Rhea Ledingham is 85 years old. The most important thing she learned in life is patience and calmness. She said her husband and children taught her this. 

“What brings me happiness nowadays is meeting new people and getting to make them smile. There was this little lady and I never saw her smile. One day I told her she looked beautiful and she just lit up. It’s not so important that you remember everyone’s name, It’s important how you make them feel,” Ledingham said.