The Artistry of Aging
“The earth is full of thresholds where beauty awaits the wonder of our gaze.”
― John O’Donohue, Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace
What of beauty? It is as unique as each one of us. Nature’s landscapes and creatures, a beautiful human face, art that expands our perceptions, colors, light and form, the poetry of music – so much beauty in this world.
Yet, there is a different landscape for beauty to create within. The inner landscape within us. Most often we don’t even think about it, or look for beauty there. It is subtle but it is there in our continual journey of becoming as we cross thresholds leaving old patterns of thinking and being behind.
A space of being within where we feel more alive!
At times, as elders, we may experience the vulnerability and fragility of being at this latter stage of embodied life. It may not seem as easy to explore new territory or cross over thresholds – edges of life – leaving our “normal” ways of being behind.
We could all of a sudden be in a body compromised by painful and restricted mobility, have a precarious financial situation appear, or be in the depths of deeply grieving the lack or loss of a devoted friend or companion in life.
Where can we find beauty then to remind us of how it feels to be more alive?
“Beauty isn’t about all nice loveliness. Beauty is about a more rounded, substantial becoming. When we cross a new threshold what we do is we heal the patterns of repetition that were in us that had us caught somewhere. In that sense beauty is about emerging fullness, a greater sense of grace and elegance, a deeper sense of depth and also a kind of homecoming for the enriched memory of your unfolding life.”
~John O’Donohue
John O’Donohue has always been a favorite of mine and I was fortunate to find his eloquent embodied writings when he was still alive. I thought I would love to travel to his part of Ireland and be with him on his own turf. Unfortunately that never happened as he passed away before I could make that journey. However, he lives on in his numerous writings and recordings.
Below you will find a very brief 6 minute portion of a two hour interview with John by Krista Tippett of On Being. I still feel his presence…..
Beauty Is An Edge of Becoming – Portion of an Interview/John O’Donohue with Krista Tippett

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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/27/22
Photo: Living life as if the experiences you have matter. Are you?
As we come very close to ending this year of 2022 it is a time to reflect on whether we are living our lives fully. Not only having a positive impact on others lives and the natural world, but more importantly to living a free life on our own terms.
Having been a person who always thought of others first it has been a challenging journey to recognize that claiming the freedom to live my life as I am called to can at times disappoint others, but more often can inspire and impact them to do the same.
An ever changing opportunity each day to reclaim and share who we are fully without holding back by loving the life that is within us.
Meraai, in the video below, brings humor, dancing the tango with the bread she is making, appreciating the moments of simple pleasures, and a wisdom gained from many years of deeper inner reflection and experience..
What life within wants to express now?
Right now I want to have a taste of her yummy looking bread with a good coating of fresh butter on it!
“Making other people happy makes many of us feel good. It’s great to know that you made a positive impact, however small, on someone’s life. But there’s a difference between being kind, and being a people pleaser. Being someone who pleases people sounds like a good idea. But you should never change who you are to please them.
You mold yourself to fit the idea of what other people think you should be. Running around trying to please everyone with every decision – never tuning into your own needs. And you stop trusting your own judgment because you assume that other people know better!
You have infinite opportunities to do what makes you radiant in a world of dreary times. And the people that matter, will stick around and love you the most when you are true to yourself. It’s never too late to live a free life — one that is on your own terms. “
“When you say ‘yes’ to others, make sure you don’t say ‘no’ to yourself.” ~Paolo Coehlo
Filmed in Swellendam, South Africa. Featuring Meraai van Wyk. All of our films are made possible through the generous support of our patrons. To be part of this journey : https://www.patreon.com/greenrenaissance
Who is Green Renaissance? We are Michael and Justine – passionate filmmakers, living off-grid and dedicating our time to making films that we hope will inspire and share positivity out into the world.
Editing – by Jackie Viviers Sound mix – by Tamryn Breakey Music sourced from ArtList – https://bit.ly/2KfrAt2 Vals – by Biba Dupont Border Town – by Ben Mcelroy La Boca Fiesta – by Maya Belsitzman and Matan Ephrat Approaching Distance – by We Dream of Eden Limbo – by Enzalla Stay – by Mattia Vlad Morleo Leave – by Mattia Vlad Morleo
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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/26/22
“A culture of sharing is a culture of resilience.”
Robin Wall Kimmerer
This time of year is considered sacred in many cultures around the world. There is something about the darkest time of year that is worth our reflection time.
A time when nature is “sleeping” beneath the earth, in caves and burrows, or under the snow. Of trees stripped of leaves that have fallen awhile ago. Bare trunks and branches displaying their graceful beauty.
This is an opportunity to remember why we are here…..and what supports and sustains us. The natural world.
Will we be more mindful of taking from her in the days to come? Our lives depend upon it….
For more from Robin Wall Kimmerer you are invited to go here: https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/

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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/25/22
From the very first moment, in the video below, I was completely taken with Antony and Margy. I invite you to watch this elder couple and feel into intimate companionship through their eyes and experience.
For me this translates to all relationships,…… Enjoy!
“Yes I hear people say you need to know yourself to bring that into a marriage, and I am sure that is true. To me it feels slightly different. It is more the willingness to find ourselves in the marriage. That feels a little more forgiving and a bit more allowing. Let this relationship change me in whatever way seems natural in the interaction between us.” ~ Antony Osler
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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/24/22
Most often this time of year is thought of as a “giving season”. Though that is part of the reality as we seek the perfect gift for a loved one – friend or family – or donate to our favorite cause, there is another part of this circle that is often overlooked. the grace of receiving.
I call it the “grace of receiving” as it takes a willingness to softly open our hearts to receive and embody worthiness and self love. For someone who consistently thought of others welfare receiving was something that made me feel uncomfortable. As if I had to give back to make things “equal”. Perhaps because over the years giving was a way to survive and to be acknowledged. To belong.
In nature…and in life….receiving is reciprocal and woven with giving. What I didn’t grasp in the past is that I was always receiving when I was giving. Yet what would it be like to completely receive without being compelled to give back. Thankfully in my elder years I have surrendered into that experience.
I had just returned home from being away for 5 days caring for two elder dogs while their humans were away, when the doorbell rang. It was my dear friend Margaret looking like a holiday Elf, who with a smile on her face handed me a paper bag. In the bag was a large stocking in red with a big “G” on it (for Gaye).

I almost broke down in tears right then feeling the love flow between us as I said to her “No one has made a Christmas stocking for me in decades”. When she left a few minutes later a flood of memories poured forth from childhood and as a parent of 3 now grown to manhood boys.
In those receiving moments I did indeed give – with love, friendship and transparency of emotion – creating a memory to share in the future. For me this is the grace of receiving..
Did I look inside the stocking? No! The child in me will save it for the traditional gift giving holiday. Every time I pass it by for the next few days my heart will open to receiving.
P.S. No accident that the picture on the wall was another gift given to me on a past birthday by dear friends and the orchid was something I gave to others at a temporary job….and then it came back to me when I completed the assignment. The tapestry of giving and receiving keeps weaving…..
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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/23/22
Photo: Captain Sir Thomas Moore
The holiday season is often filled with excess and consumerism. I wonder what it would be like to offer a gift of kindness to each other, or to strangers out there who you pass by every day.
Every time I go out into the world there is a practice I attend to most days. I do at least one act of kindness and share laughter with someone. When I saw the post on Good News Network about Captain Sir Thomas Moore I thought it was a great gift to give to you, especially during the holidays.
Perhaps it will inspire you to do your own acts of kindness….and when you receive one – place it on the message board at the link below!
“Captain Sir Tom Moore lived a long and fulfilled life, that was brimming with joy, deep sorrow, love, loss, hope positivity and kindness. He passed away at the age of 100 years.
He spent years of his youth experiencing first-hand the horrors of war in defense of the country and values that he held so dear. Despite this, he truly believed in the fundamental goodness of humanity and always said:
‘Above all be kind. It doesn’t cost you a penny.’
With that in mind, this message board is a place to relate your kindness stories, to share joy and hope with others by recalling any small gift of kindness towards you, or someone you know, and how that felt.
With love from Captain Sir Tom’s family – Hannah, Colin, Benjie and Georgia xx”

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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/22/22
Newgrange, Ireland at Winter Solstice
In Latin ‘Solstice’ means “the sun stands still”. The image heading this post is of Newgrange at Winter Solstice in Ireland. It is a huge tomb mound built in Ireland around 3200 B.C., about a thousand years before Stonehenge.
A tunnel facing the solstice sunrise runs to a main chamber, and a small window bathes the chamber in solstice light for 17 minutes. This feels mystical.
I could offer the science around Winter Solstice, present theories on the people that built Newgrange, or talk about how this day is celebrated around the world.
But instead, my offering this darkest day of the year (Northern Hemisphere) and lightest day of the year (Southern Hemisphere – save it for July!) is a magical Winter Solstice story for children. I have to say that I was enchanted…..

“A group of little Faeries huddled in their home deep under the roots of a giant oak tree. They were safe and snug in their tiny underground cave lined with dandelion fluff, bird feathers, and dried moss.
Outside, the wind blew cold and the snow fell softly down to cover the ground. “I saw the Sun King today,” the faerie named Rose said as she pulled her mossy cloak tighter about her. “He looked so old and tired as he walked off through the forest. What is wrong with him?
“The great oak said he’s dying” answered Daffodil.
“Dying? Oh, what will we do now?”, Little Meadow Grass started to cry, “If the Sun King dies, our little plant friends will not grow. The Birds will not come and sing again. Everything will be winter for ever!” Lilac, Dandelion and Elder Blossom tried to comfort their friend, but they were all very sad. As they huddled together, there was a knock on the tiny door.
“Open up, Faeries,” called out a loud voice. “Why are you hiding instead of joining us in our Solstice celebration?” Rose opened the door and the little gnome Brown Knobby pushed inside, shaking the glistening snowflakes off his brown coat and hat.
“We are too sad to celebrate,” Daffodil said wiping her eyes, “The Sun King is dying, haven’t you heard?”
“He is dead you silly Faeries.” Brown Knobby’s round dark eyes sparkled with laughter. “Now hurry, or we’ll be late for the celebration!”
“How can you be happy and laughing?!” Elder Blossom stamped her little foot and frowned at the gnome. “If the Sun King IS dead, it will be winter always. We will never see the Sun again!”
“Silly little child-Faeries.” Brown Knobby grabbed Dandelion by the hand and pulled her to her feet. “There is a secret to the Winter Solstice. Don’t you want to know what it is?”
The Faeries looked at him in surprise. “Secret?” they all said. “What secret? We are only new little Faeries, you silly gnome. We’ve never been to a Solstice celebration before.”
“Come and see. Come and see. Get your capes and come with me.” Brown Knobby danced and jigged around the room. “Hurry, Hurry, don’t be slow! To the Sacred Oak Grove through the snow!” He danced out of the door and disappeared.
“What did that gnome mean?” Rose asked as she gathered up her cloak of dried rose petals held together with cobwebs and lined with goose down.
“I don’t know, but the Lady lives in the Sacred Grove.” Meadow Grass pulled on her hat.
“Perhaps if we go to see the Goddess, She can explain what Brown Knobby was talking about”.
The Faeries left their snug little home and trudged off through the snow toward the sacred oak grove. The forest was dark with only the light of the Moon shining down through the thick fir branches and bare limbs of maple and hawthorn. It was very difficult for them to get through the snow because they were very, very small. As they waded through the wet snow and shivered in the cold wind, they met a fox.
“Where are you going, Faeries?” the fox asked.
“To the sacred grove,” they answered, they were cold and shivering.
“Climb on my back and I will take you there swiftly.”
The fox knelt down so the Faeries could climb up. Then he raced off through the dark.
“Listen!” Lilac said as they neared the Grove of Sacred trees. “Someone is singing happy songs. A LOT of someones.”
The beautiful music carried over the cold, still, moonlit air. It was the most beautiful music the Faeries had ever heard. The fox carried the Faeries right to the edge of the stone altar in the center of the grove, then knelt down.
“Look!” said Elder Blossom as they slid to the snow covered ground. “There is the Maiden and the Mother and the OLD Wise Crone, and many other Little People.”
“They are all smiling and happy,” said Lilac as she looked around at all the creatures.
“All the animals are here too,” whispered Dandelion. “Why are they all looking at the Mother?”
The Faeries moved closer to the three Ladies seated on the altar stone. The Mother held a bundle close in Her arms, smiling down at it. The Maiden reached down and took the Faeries gently in her Hands. She held them close to the Mother so they could see what She held.
“A Baby!” the Faeries cried. ” A new little Baby! Look how he glows!”
“He is the newborn Sun King,” said the Maiden smiling.
“But Brown Knobby and the old oak tree said the Sun King was dead,” the Faeries answered her. “How can this little baby be the Sun King?”
“That is the great secret of the Winter Solstice.” The Old Wise One touched the baby’s cheek with her wrinkled hand. “Every year the Sun King must come to the sacred grove during the darkest days of winter where he dies. I take his spirit to the Mother who gives him new life again. This is the way for all creatures, not just the Sun King.”
” You mean everything lives and dies and lives again? the Faeries looked down in wonder at the baby Sun King, nestled in the arms of the Mother.
” Yes, Little Ones,” answered the Old Wise Crone. “There is never an end to life. This is the great mystical secret of the Winter Solstice.”
The Faeries laughed because they were so happy.
“I think the little Sun King should have gifts,” said Rose. “I will show him where the wild roses bloom in the early summer.”
“And, I will teach him to call the birds and listen to the songs of the wind,” exclaimed Dandelion.
“When he is older and stronger, ” said the Mother, “then the flowers will bloom at his touch, the birds will return to sing their songs, and the air will be warm from his breath, and winter will be gone for a time. Then the Sun King will run and play with you in the forest.”
The little Faeries sang to the Baby Sun King, songs of the coming spring, the sweet smelling flowers, the bumbling bees, and all the secrets of the forest. And all the creatures within the sacred grove sang with them. Then the fox took them back to their snug home under the roots of the giant oak tree where they dreamed wonderful dreams, waiting for the warmth of spring and the fun they would have with the little Sun King.”
~author unknown
Found on Widdershins /Shirley Two Feathers.com
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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/21/22
‘None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm’.
Henry David Thoreau
Of Note: This post first published June 2020 on Wildly Free Elder under the title “A Few Words on Aging”. This was the month that this website and community were created, so a bit nostalgic for me. Felt like the perfect post for today two and half years later. I still absolutely love the Green Renaissance video below and adore Maureen and her zest for life. Every time I watch it I smile!
The natural evolution of an embodied human is to change with each year we are here. Not just physically, but within the heart of our emotions and in the deepest energetic recesses of our mind, thinking and creative potential.
For some this is a very conscious process. An unfolding of acceptance, transparency, trust and surrender revealing our life path. Every year brings new opportunities and awareness.
Some accept the societal story and common narrative of aging, or impulsively seek the next “anti-aging” supplement or practice which denies what is a natural process for all living beings.
The continuum of birth to death reveals a pathway uniquely our own. No one else has our challenges, experiences, opportunities and possibilities.
For some this is a short spectrum and filled with challenges that can’t simply be overcome with facing them head on. Acceptance of disabilities, dis-ease and even death are at the forefront during these final embodied years.
Impermanence beckons us from everywhere. We see it in nature, our friends and loved ones, the animals special to us and at every turn of life. Everything ages and dies within the cycles and rhythms of life here on Earth.
What our unique path will be is simply a matter of perception and is revealed in our unfolding life moments. That we will transition in death at some point is inevitable.
Many of us have been blessed with more embodied life moments to dig deep and have found our passions buried beneath complacency, fixed identities that do not honor the wild soul inside, and ungrounded fears. Free of the pressures and stresses of youth and mid-life we are invited into the stage of elderhood.
Elder saturated in the experiences, wisdom and innate sense of belonging, woven with an unrelenting sense of humor that surfaces in a multitude of moments during our days no matter what chronological age we are.
Being an Elder is not defined by age, but rather Elders are recognized because they have earned the respect of their community through wisdom and actions or their teachings; through the vibrancy that radiates out from their presence and the unique artistry that only they can bring into the world.
Let us return to acknowledging elders in the fullest sense of the powerful presence they can be and are becoming. Respecting the life artistry that has been necessary to bring them to where they are today.
As we ripen into our aging beauty may we be heard, seen and respected for what we have to offer. May we trust and respect our own becoming with grace, curiosity and surrender.…and a strong dose of humor!
The time is now to free yourself into the wildness of elderhood. To ground who you are and what you have to bring into the very center of your being in spite of the challenges, or better yet because of the challenges!
You have stories to tell, wisdom to share and artistry to impart.
Don’t die now….before you die!
Copyright by Gaye Abbott, 6/2020, Natural Passages Consulting
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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/20/22
Exploring the natural world has been a lifelong passion for me and has fueled endless curiosity. As I layer clothing this morning to keep warm outside my attention goes to Winter, the Solstice only two days away
So today I am sharing some footage of a penguin colony focusing on one very small baby, the last to hatch. The social structure not so different from ours, and coming of age having it’s ups and downs too.
In the wild, penguin lifespans range from 6 to 25 years depending on their species and the particular aquatic ecosystem they inhabit. On average, however, penguins usually live to between 15 and 20 years to qualify for elderhood.
Did you know that mother penguins have pouches? Immerse yourself in their world…
Video above is a short clip from the 2016 film Snow Chick: A Penguin’s Tale:
This enchanting film follows the adventures of one charismatic emperor penguin from the time he emerges from the egg to the moment he leaves for the sea. Emperor penguins grow up during the winter in one of the coldest places on Earth – the Antarctic. The conditions are harsh and chicks must endure temperatures of minus 60 degrees Celsius and terrifying blizzards. This film follows the trials and tribulations of one adorable fluffy chick – from his first tentative steps on the ice, to getting lost, to hanging out with the other chicks. It also shows the lengths his parents will go to provide food, overcoming huge obstacles, avoiding predators like leopard seals, and enduring freezing conditions. Full of tense and moving moments as well as comedy and character, Snow Chick follows the emperor penguin’s life story in a level of detail never attempted before.
Welcome to BBC EARTH! The world is an amazing place full of stories, beauty and natural wonder. Here you’ll find 50 years worth of entertaining and thought-provoking natural history content. Dramatic, rare, and exclusive, nature doesn’t get more exciting than this.
Want to share your views with the team? Join our BBC Studios Voice: https://www.bbcstudiosvoice.com/register
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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/19/22
‘Art is not simply works of art; it is the spirit that knows beauty, that has music in its soul and the color of sunsets in its handkerchief, that can dance on a flaming world and make the world dance too.”
W.e.B. Du Bois
When we reach elderhood many of us start thinking about and opening into creative pursuits, whether we have been an artist all our lives, dabbled in the arts, or simply felt called to explore. As we reach elderhood many of us start feeling an inner urging to explore and discover through some form of creative expression.
My lifelong creative pursuits were mostly writing and some form of movement or dance, and of course the integrative health and well being arts. But somehow I now feel I have missed an entire realm filled with potential creative explorations. I have felt this way on and off throughout my life but have put it aside for the “business” of the day.
Now yearning to explore color, texture, form and shape, I am curious as to not only what will emerge, but how I will feel during the process. I am aware that creative practice is a way to access a meditative state of mind and a flow of feelings. In turn it can also reveal the depths of who we are, what we have experienced in our lives…. .and who we are becoming.
Below is a Green Renaissance video revealing 4 elders who have found unique ways to explore and live within creativity and access their inner resources. For some it is healing and for others it frees their souls and opens their hearts…..
Jul 15, 2020 “As humans, we have a challenge that other organisms don’t have. We are confronted with way more reality than any of us can stomach. The question is, how do we release the tensions that build up in our anxious human lives?
“Art is a guarantee to sanity,” said Louise Bourgeois. Creative practice is a way to access a meditative state of mind, breaking free from the constant debilitating chatter of the mind. It also taps into the deep unconscious and allows us to tune in to how we’re feeling inside, which can bring about profound healing.
The final result is not what matters. What is important is how the process of creating makes you feel. Why not use creativity as a way of spending some quiet time by yourself. “
To be part of our film making journey : https://www.patreon.com/greenrenaissance. Who is Green Renaissance? We are Michael and Justine – passionate filmmakers, living off-grid and dedicating our time to making films that we hope will inspire and share hope and positivity out into the world.
This film features : Dawn Garisch, Gina Niederhumer, Ole Jakob Nielsen and Kyoko Kimura Morgan Filmed in South Africa and the Faroe Islands
Editing – by Jackie Viviers Sound mix – by Tamryn Breakey
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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/17/22