The Grace of Stopping
Giving ourselves the gift of time to stop and breathe I woke up not feeling my best the other day. I am retired, so I have the luxury of not having to follow any routine or call off from a job, and I am very grateful for that. I realize that not everyone has this…
The Bittersweet Joy of Elderhood
Growing older brings gifts of pain and joy, sometimes in the same package Growing older is not easy, not always what we might want, but can bring such wondrous gifts if we stay open to it all. It is yet another holiday season. They come so much more quickly now. Sometimes the days can feel long,…
I Gave Away My Bike Today
Letting go of yet another piece of my past I have had a bicycle in my garage that I haven’t used for years. These days, I am not sure that I would feel safe trying to use it again. I love that some older folks bicycle regularly, but I am not one of those. This bicycle…
Fat-Shaming
Why do we fat-shame someone if we don’t like them I am no fan of the current political administration and far be it from me to defend anything that they are doing. But I do notice that when people are angry with someone, suddenly it seems to become acceptable to shame them and make fun…
A Random Gift of Light
A stranger gave me a gift that still resonates deep within Oh, how unexpected small miracles can be! I and a group of friends attended an annual holiday celebration at our local zoo, where I am lucky enough to volunteer. It is a glorious festival with life-sized animal lanterns and displays of lights throughout the zoo.…
Being Seen and Heard When Least Expected
Feeling welcomed simply for who I am I recently had an experience that hit me with such force and surprise. You never know where a gift will present itself I have been volunteering (on the Behavior Observation Team where I got to observe and record behaviors of animals) at our local zoo for years now, with elephants.…
The Power of Words
Not allowing others to define them for us Have you noticed how certain words can been turned around to almost mean the opposite of what they originally were, or at the very least, been given a very negative connotation that twists everything around and makes no sense. Woke When did it become a bad thing to…
Researching Final Arrangements
Planning for the end can wake us up I have been feeling sad for a while now. Life feels so painful these days…the state of the country and the world, my aging process, declining body parts, general wearing out and wearing down. Some days it all feels like too much. Today is one of those days.…
Welcoming my Elder Self
Inviting my 72-year-old self into my inner tribe I like to think of myself as welcoming and inclusive. I am humbled to realize that I have not spread that welcome so much to this latest version of me, the 72-year-old version. We have rituals and ceremonies for other times, other selves. We honor and celebrate milestones…
The Center is Me
My feet are not too big for those shoes…the shoes are too small. It occurred to me the other day that I have spent my life thinking that I was the wrong size, or wrong personality, or wrong whatever it was. It was me that needed to change, shrink, alter, bend, twist, flex. The center was…
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I'm Not Dead Yet! 