The kids are alright

I think the lilac should be the official flower of millennials.

AmIright?

Unpretentious, naturally organic, and optimistic, the lilac is always more dependable than you think it’s going to be.

Much like millennials.

Lilacs grow deep roots and blossom in sweet clusters.

So do the millennials I know.

I’m a big fan of both.

Here are 10 reasons I think the world is in good hands with the millennial generation (including the four members I call my own):

1. They think deeply. All. The. Time. I have seen casual questions like “What should we have for dinner?” evolve into tangential discussions so lengthy the answer, by default, has to be “Pizza” because there’s no time left to prepare anything else.
2. They shun consumerism. Statistics back me up on this. Millennials save for and spend their money on experiences, rather than things. They’re seeing more of the world, and wearing fewer designer labels, than we did.
3. They’re generous. According to a survey by CNBC, 84 percent of millennials donate to charity and 70 percent volunteer their time. I think that’s amazing.
4. They’re even smarter than their phones. It didn’t surprise me at all to learn that the cyber expert who saved the world from the WannaCry virus was a 22-year old self-taught IT expert. The millennials I know sync, surf, customize and cloud compute as a matter of course.
5. They protect the environment. Millennials work really hard at this. They drink their water from reusable bottles, recycle, resell, and pride themselves on their shrinking carbon footprints.
6. They advocate outside their social media platforms and, though their at-best 50% voter turnout in the 2016 presidential election means they need to work a little harder to get their peers to the polls, they actively defend their beliefs. I’ve seen them at rallies and council meetings; I’ve heard them speak in earnest defense of an equality they define both broadly and specifically; I’ve read their articles and posts. Millennials have a powerful voice and they’re learning to use it more effectively every day.
7. They multi-task. I’ve seen millennials listening to podcasts while folding laundry, sipping coffee they’ve french pressed themselves, Instagramming artfully composed photos with witty hashtags, and actively participating in lively group texts…and this is a warm up to their day.
8. They adapt. The jobs many of them hold today didn’t even exist five years ago. With a mind-boggling amount of information literally at their fingertips, they have become the see a problem, solve a problem generation.
9. They like their beverages handcrafted and their food locally sourced. Their persnicketiness has upped the game for all of us and my aging taste buds and I thank them kindly.
10. They care, sometimes too much. The millennials I know want to make a difference in the world, and they’re willing to work hard to do it.

I’m certainly not saying they’re perfect, but what generation is? From where I sit right now, in front of a keyboard that has typed “congratulations” so often in the past few days its “c” key is sticking, the kids are alright and, frankly, so are we.

You are beautiful, millennials, and I’m proud to know you. Now, grab yourself a bunch of lilacs and celebrate!