WILDLY FREE ELDER
The Artistry of Aging
Day 7: Elder Muse – Embracing Moments
Finishing a very unusual book of fiction, The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, I was left with many things to ponder and reflect on. One of those was an old Zen poem that one of the characters in the story found.
“Great is the matter of Birth and Death. Life is transient. Time will not wait. Wake up! Wake up! Do not waste a moment.”
As I took in the poem I realized that instead of expanding awareness in that moment it felt like a spiritual admonishment of sorts. Glancing over at the plant stand in my bedroom I spied a bumper sticker that I keep there which says “Don’t Postpone Joy”.
The use of “do not” makes me feel a little like a child that is being told to please wake up and listen or tend to the moment more fully. That I simply wasn’t adhering to the precepts for Conscious Life 101, especially as a supposedly wiser elder.
“You are walking this life, make sure that you leave beautiful steps behind.”
Morné Pretorius
Yet, It is indeed in the moments that life happens. Change and challenge happens. It is our choice how we perceive those moments and changes…and what we do with them.
In the Green Renaissance short film below, featuring Morné Pretorius,. a young man speaks with the wisdom of an elder. Through a serious accident he learned a key to fully embodied living….
“Change is like a river: nothing stays the same, because life as we know it can change in an instant. We never know what’s around the bend and we can’t control everything in life. As much as you prepare and plan, some things still won’t go your way. So why do we keep expecting them too?
When you learn how to embrace change, you’ll find that the uncertainty of life feels a little less scary. Live in the moment, cherish the people we love, and appreciate what’s happening right now. And when we do that, life becomes an unexpected adventure, filled with unimaginable joy. “
Filmed in Heidelberg, South Africa by Green Renaissance
Featuring Morné Pretorius.
ABOUT ELDER MUSE – 31-DAYS IN DECEMBER, 2022
Taking responsibility for our own journey is at times incredibly challenging. For those of you who read this blog regularly you may have noticed there was only one blog post published from September-November.
I was on a journey of exploration and discovery on how it felt to work a temporary part time mainstream job 20-hours/week, as well as continue on with my own private house/pet sitting business at the same time. It seemed my writing and creativity went into a hibernation of sorts.
I became acutely aware of what is most important to me at this precious elder time of life..and what is not. What opens me to wholeness, creativity, compassion, beauty, peace of mind and love….and what shuts me down into scarcity and contraction in the midst, of “busyness”. .
From this short 3-month experience the “elder muse” made an appearance and patiently waited to reveal a plan to re-engage with creative artistry when the timing was right. Over the next 31 days you will receive a daily Elder Muse blog post accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled.
I have no idea what will arise…..but then do we really know ahead of time what our moment to moment daily experience will be? We are only asked to pay attention.
Case in point – Just now I almost missed this sunrise extravaganza while focused on the words instead of the ever transitioning beauty emerging right out the window…….
I appreciate that you will be along with me for this journey. Please feel free to make comments or add your own insights and humor…..
In Gratitude & Appreciation!
SIGN UP FOR THE WILDLY FREE ELDER BLOG POSTS HERE: https://atomic-temporary-171801894.wpcomstaging.com/blog/
DECEMBER 2022: ELDER MUSE BLOG POSTS: https://wildlyfreeelder.wordpress.com/2022/12/
Day 6: Elder Muse -The Elder’s Journey
Ancient Bristlecone
“Go, and if you are scared go scared” Brazilian Moto
There are no elder rites of passage in our mainstream culture. In fact we must create one for ourselves. Our own unique rites of passage – not a one size fits all.
Opening into a conscious approach to growing older we may still ask the question of ourselves “how do I want to live my life?”. Not “doing what you love” as a profession or job, but instead the question to live in may be – what opens my heart, inspires my creativity, and brings me peace of mind and well being.
Granted there are a lot less years ahead of us, so wouldn’t you feel inspired to choose where your heart and intuition guide you?
Two years ago next April I made a leap clear across the country from N. California to N. Carolina at age 72 – a place I had never even visited before. The story of that leap can be found in the free e-book “Finding Home: Pathways to Conscious Embodied Relocation”.
What it represented for me was an elder rites of passage in following my heart, intuition, and knowing what was most important to me at this stage of life. I am not blessed to have a devoted partner in my life – though I would love one – so it was done consciously alone with the support of friends and in connection with my sons and grandchildren, all in California.
We have been gifted these elder years of life. Besides feeling blessed and incredibly grateful to have them, what will we do with them? What is important?
Every day is a new day and opportunity to love, to laugh, to show kindness and compassion, and to create. There is passion always living within us….but sometimes it hides especially when memories fail us and bodies simply won’t do what they used to
The Brazilians say, “Go, and if you are scared go scared”. Try on different perspectives, be curious, talk to strangers, share laughter, start painting, grow your own food, write poetry, learn a new way to move your body, be of service……the possibilities are endless.
I invite you to watch this short video by Green Renaissance featuring Eduardo Shimahara who is no longer embodied among us. Though most of us are past the time for careers and “making money” what he tells us here about his awareness will live on among us…..
Jun 13, 2018 ‘The question is very simple. How would you like to live your life? Are you doing what you love?’ – Eduardo Shimahara
Purpose is something so deeply personal. It’s not about fitting in – it’s about finding your own path. Listen to your heart – that’s the right thing for you to do.
Who is Green Renaissance? We are a tiny collective of 4 passionate filmmakers (Warren, Jacky, Michael and Justine). We live off-grid and dedicate our time to making films that we hope will inspire and share ideas.
ABOUT ELDER MUSE – 31-DAYS IN DECEMBER, 2022
Taking responsibility for our own journey is at times incredibly challenging. For those of you who read this blog regularly you may have noticed there was only one blog post published from September-November.
I was on a journey of exploration and discovery on how it felt to work a temporary part time mainstream job 20-hours/week, as well as continue on with my own private house/pet sitting business at the same time. It seemed my writing and creativity went into a hibernation of sorts.
I became acutely aware of what is most important to me at this precious elder time of life..and what is not. What opens me to wholeness, creativity, compassion, beauty, peace of mind and love….and what shuts me down into scarcity and contraction in the midst, of “busyness”. .
From this short 3-month experience the “elder muse” made an appearance and patiently waited to reveal a plan to re-engage with creative artistry when the timing was right. Over the next 31 days you will receive a daily Elder Muse blog post accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled.
I have no idea what will arise…..but then do we really know ahead of time what our moment to moment daily experience will be? We are only asked to pay attention.
Case in point – Just now I almost missed this sunrise extravaganza while focused on the words instead of the ever transitioning beauty emerging right out the window…….
I appreciate that you will be along with me for this journey. Please feel free to make comments or add your own insights and humor…..
In Gratitude & Appreciation!
SIGN UP FOR THE WILDLY FREE ELDER BLOG POSTS HERE: https://atomic-temporary-171801894.wpcomstaging.com/blog/
DECEMBER 2022: ELDER MUSE BLOG POSTS: https://wildlyfreeelder.wordpress.com/2022/12/
Day 5/Elder Muse: Pillars of Creation
Image: From Near Infrared Webb Space Telescope – Pillars of Creation
.“Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you.” ~Rumi
We often think of space and the Universe as “out there” as if it’s there and we are here, as if Earth is separate from the rest of the Universe – but we are technically “in space” right now. The Earth and our solar system is estimated to be 4.6 billion years old.
The Universe is everything. Everything includes all of space and all of the matter and energy that space contains. It even includes time itself, and of course each one of us and all life here on Earth. There are billions of galaxies in the observable Universe beside the Milky Way.
The image taken from the far infrared Webb Space telescope in the short video below is 6,500 light-years away. A light-year is the distance light travels in one Earth year. One light-year is light zipping through interstellar space at 186,00 miles (300,000km) per second and 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion km) per year.
Humans, and I am among them, forget this vastness and interconnected creation. We live our flash of a lifespan as if we are the center of the Universe and forget the creation that is going on constantly around and inside of us. This image and what it represents expanded my perceptions so quickly it was almost mind blowing.
“Earthrise” taken from by astronaut Bill Anders on Apollo on Apollo 8 Mission orbiting Moon
We all remember when we saw this “Earthrise” image as the astronauts of Apollo 8 orbited the Moon on Christmas Eve, 1968. This image most likely kick-started the environmental movement. The mission “will probably be remembered as much for Bill Ander’s picture as anything because it shows the fragility of our Earth, the beauty of the Earth, and just how so insignificantly small we are in the Universe,”
Many of us embrace that everything on Earth is elegantly interconnected. Yet when we try on expanding to the entire Universe it seems far beyond what the human mind can comprehend. Yet, I am curious how we can take this in and not recognize how vast on going creation is and that nothing is separate – simply a part of the whole….
I wonder when I die if I will become a star….again?
ABOUT ELDER MUSE – 31-DAYS IN DECEMBER, 2022
Taking responsibility for our own journey is at times incredibly challenging. For those of you who read this blog regularly you may have noticed there was only one blog post published from September-November.
I was on a journey of exploration and discovery on how it felt to work a temporary part time mainstream job 20-hours/week, as well as continue on with my own private house/pet sitting business at the same time. It seemed my writing and creativity went into a hibernation of sorts.
I became acutely aware of what is most important to me at this precious elder time of life..and what is not. What opens me to wholeness, creativity, compassion, beauty, peace of mind and love….and what shuts me down into scarcity and contraction in the midst, of “busyness”. .
From this short 3-month experience the “elder muse” made an appearance and patiently waited to reveal a plan to re-engage with creative artistry when the timing was right. Over the next 31 days you will receive a daily Elder Muse blog post accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled.
I have no idea what will arise…..but then do we really know ahead of time what our moment to moment daily experience will be? We are only asked to pay attention.
Case in point – Just now I almost missed this sunrise extravaganza while focused on the words instead of the ever transitioning beauty emerging right out the window…….
I appreciate that you will be along with me for this journey. Please feel free to make comments or add your own insights and humor…..
In Gratitude & Appreciation!
SIGN UP FOR THE WILDLY FREE ELDER BLOG POSTS HERE: https://atomic-temporary-171801894.wpcomstaging.com/blog/
DECEMBER 2022: ELDER MUSE BLOG POSTS: https://wildlyfreeelder.wordpress.com/2022/12/
Day 4/Elder Muse: Circles of Motion
To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can’t see, can’t hear;
Can’t know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren’t always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.
From In Mad Love and War. Copyright © 1990 by Joy Harjo. Reprinted with kind permission of Wesleyan University Press. Image by Sylvain Mauroux/Unsplash
I begin this days Elder Muse post with the poem above. Indeed, I perceive life in its entirety as a regenerative flow of energy in constant motion. The beauty takes my breath away as light weaves a tapestry with shadow.
More now than ever before I feel the fragility that is embodied life. Moments are precious.
Wouldn’t you want your last breath to be “like eagle rounding out the morning inside” filled with the beauty of a life well lived in the elements of wholeness…..
ABOUT ELDER MUSE – 31-DAYS IN DECEMBER, 2022
Taking responsibility for our own journey is at times incredibly challenging. For those of you who read this blog regularly you may have noticed there was only one blog post published from September-November.
I was on a journey of exploration and discovery on how it felt to work a temporary part time mainstream job 20-hours/week, as well as continue on with my own private house/pet sitting business at the same time. It seemed my writing and creativity went into a hibernation of sorts.
I became acutely aware of what is most important to me at this precious elder time of life..and what is not. What opens me to wholeness, creativity, compassion, beauty, peace of mind and love….and what shuts me down into scarcity and contraction in the midst, of “busyness”. .
From this short 3-month experience the “elder muse” made an appearance and patiently waited to reveal a plan to re-engage with creative artistry when the timing was right. Over the next 31 days you will receive a daily Elder Muse blog post accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled.
I have no idea what will arise…..but then do we really know ahead of time what our moment to moment daily experience will be? We are only asked to pay attention.
Case in point – Just now I almost missed this sunrise extravaganza while focused on the words instead of the ever transitioning beauty emerging right out the window…….
I appreciate that you will be along with me for this journey. Please feel free to make comments or add your own insights and humor…..
In Gratitude & Appreciation!
Day 3/Elder Muse: Spirits Don’t Age!
Movement, dance, mobility of any kind has been a treasured aspect of being embodied for me. I have always said I desire to live my life as I dance – free, open, uninhibited, and wildly present to following the rhythms of life flowing through in any given moment.
Yet like everyone I get caught up in my mind and every day life busyness….and forget…..while the physical aging process at times reveals itself as an uninvited guest who must be accommodated.
Once we reach elderhood most of us have experienced some sort of compromised mobility at some point, either temporary or more permanent. Over the last 3 months, after an injury, I learned more about the preciousness of movement and lack of, acceptance of what is in the moment, a need to adapt even if simply temporary….and for me a burning desire to keep moving no matter what, even if it was in my imagination.
Movement created from the creative breath of simply being….
I invite you to meet Eileen Kramer through her movement, her words…..and even what is not being spoken but is so apparent – her creative Spirit – in the video below filmed when she was 103. I also wish to express immense gratitude to Julie Wylie, a part of our Wildly Free Elder tribe, for sending a link about Eileen, thus inspiring me to continue moving through body, breath, heart and creative Spirit until the day I am no longer here….
As our lives unfold I wonder what the creative offering will be that lights you up?
And at 107 she is still filled with passion, elegance, humor and a creative uninhibited natural spark that won’t ever go away….
For more on Eileen Kramer go here: https://eileen-kramer.com/
ABOUT ELDER MUSE – 31-DAYS IN DECEMBER, 2022
Taking responsibility for our own journey is at times incredibly challenging. For those of you who read this blog regularly you may have noticed there was only one blog post published from September-November.
I was on a journey of exploration and discovery on how it felt to work a temporary part time mainstream job 20-hours/week, as well as continue on with my own private house/pet sitting business at the same time. It seemed my writing and creativity went into a hibernation of sorts.
I became acutely aware of what is most important to me at this precious elder time of life..and what is not. What opens me to wholeness, creativity, compassion, beauty, peace of mind and love….and what shuts me down into scarcity and contraction in the midst, of “busyness”. .
From this short 3-month experience the “elder muse” made an appearance and patiently waited to reveal a plan to re-engage with creative artistry when the timing was right. Over the next 31 days you will receive a daily Elder Muse blog post accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled.
I have no idea what will arise…..but then do we really know ahead of time what our moment to moment daily experience will be? We are only asked to pay attention.
Case in point – Just now I almost missed this sunrise extravaganza while focused on the words instead of the ever transitioning beauty emerging right out the window…….
I appreciate that you will be along with me for this journey. Please feel free to make comments or add your own insights and humor…..
In Gratitude & Appreciation!
Day 2/Elder Muse: Seek Silence
Photo by Gael McKenzie/ https://wildlyfreeelder.wordpress.com/creating-ancestral-lineage-with-gael-mckenzie
Queensland, Australia
Being more naturally attuned to kinesthetic and visual stimuli I have always found silence to be a sanctuary for deepening awareness and increasing appreciation for embodied life moments and my place within them. In fact, if the truth be known I go out of my way to avoid the chaos of man made sounds.
It is from a quiet and peaceful setting where I am presently caring for two elder dogs that in this moment I find silent stillness a balm for my heart and busy mind. I wonder what silence will whisper to my heart today……..
How about yours?
“Do not fear silence. Make peace with silence. For it is in the quiet moments that you will hear a message just for you.”
~Nicky Morris, Springbok, South Africa
Filmed in Springbok, South Africa. Featuring Nicky Morris. 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.”What does silence mean to you? Is it something you fear and fill up with distractions? Or is it something you actively seek as an antidote to a stressful life? Visiting silence can be an adventure, a life changing journey into peace and quiet. In silence we can hear our own thoughts. Silence speaks for the part of life that is beyond words. There is space, inner freedom and creativity. We find a place within us that is centered, a place of trust. As the noisy demands of daily life make us shrink inside, in silence we expand. Don’t underestimate the power of silence.
ABOUT ELDER MUSE – 31-DAYS IN DECEMBER, 2022
Taking responsibility for our own journey is at times incredibly challenging. For those of you who read this blog regularly you may have noticed there was only one blog post published from September-November.
I was on a journey of exploration and discovery on how it felt to work a temporary part time mainstream job 20-hours/week, as well as continue on with my own private house/pet sitting business at the same time. It seemed my writing and creativity went into a hibernation of sorts.
I became acutely aware of what is most important to me at this precious elder time of life..and what is not. What opens me to wholeness, creativity, compassion, beauty, peace of mind and love….and what shuts me down into scarcity and contraction in the midst, of “busyness”. .
From this short 3-month experience the “elder muse” made an appearance and patiently waited to reveal a plan to re-engage with creative artistry when the timing was right. Over the next 31 days you will receive a daily Elder Muse blog post accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled.
I have no idea what will arise…..but then do we really know ahead of time what our moment to moment daily experience will be? We are only asked to pay attention.
Case in point – Just now I almost missed this sunrise extravaganza while focused on the words instead of the ever transitioning beauty emerging right out the window…….
I appreciate that you will be along with me for this journey. Please feel free to make comments or add your own insights and humor…..
In Gratitude & Appreciation!
Day 1: Elder Muse -Life Is A Marvelous Gift!
Photo by Gaye Abbott, Blue Ridge Mountain Range, Western N. Carolina
“People in Appalachia insisted the mountains breathed, and it was true: the steep hollow behind the farmhouse took up one long, slow inhalation every morning and let it back down through their open windows and across the fields throughout the evening – just one full breath each day.”
~ From – “Prodigal Summer” by Barbara Kingslover
The porch vantage point offers a front row seat to the unfolding moment. The leaves left on the almost bare trees acting as nature’s wind chimes giving witness to the ever changing cloud formations dancing across the expanse of blue, almost like playing tag with each other.
Rain during the night has left a glistening freshness to the air. I breathe in deeply and notice the fecund smell of earth freshly christened with the water element. The name for this is “petrichor” – the wonderful, earthy smell that rises from the ground after the first drops of rain fall.
If I look away or become distracted for even a moment from surrendering into the moment, I lose this immersion in the on going choreography of nature breathing….
“Life is precious when we align with the magic in surrender.”
The short film below of Egbert van Bartwas sent from South Africa via Green Renaissance arrived on Thanksgiving Day. When I emailed Justine, one of the film makers, she said they had not intentionally sent it to arrive in the U.S. that day but that synchronicity must have played a part. It made me smile….
Life is precious when we align with the magic in surrender.”
Filmed at Groot Marico, South Africa by Green Renaissance
Featuring Egbert van Bart.
ABOUT ELDER MUSE – 31-DAYS IN DECEMBER, 2022
Taking responsibility for our own journey is at times incredibly challenging. For those of you who read this blog regularly you may have noticed there was only one blog post published from September-November.
I was on a journey of exploration and discovery on how it felt to work a temporary part time mainstream job 20-hours/week, as well as continue on with my own private house/pet sitting business at the same time. It seemed my writing and creativity went into a hibernation of sorts.
I became acutely aware of what is most important to me at this precious elder time of life..and what is not. What opens me to wholeness, creativity, compassion, beauty, peace of mind and love….and what shuts me down into scarcity and contraction in the midst, of “busyness”. .
From this short 3-month experience the “elder muse” made an appearance and patiently waited to reveal a plan to re-engage with creative artistry when the timing was right. Over the next 31 days you will receive a daily Elder Muse blog post accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled.
I have no idea what will arise…..but then do we really know ahead of time what our moment to moment daily experience will be? We are only asked to pay attention.
Case in point – Just now I almost missed this sunrise extravaganza while focused on the words instead of the ever transitioning beauty emerging right out the window…….
I appreciate that you will be along with me for this journey. Please feel free to make comments or add your own insights and humor…..
In Gratitude & Appreciation!
The Wisdom of Not Knowing
Blue Ridge Mountains, Western N Carolina, Photo by Gaye Abbott, 9/7/22
Driving home from a temporary job yesterday I was weary and looked forward to arriving to a friends home where I was house sitting for the week. Then it happened all in an instant.
A brilliant rainbow presented in the sky over the Blue Ridge mountain range entwined with buckets of rain pouring down scattered here and there making driving a bit treacherous. I so wanted to capture it in a photo, but could not easily stop along the country road in a downpour so I trusted.
Trusted that if these were the only moments that I had this spectacular and magical rainbow as a companion to lead me home it was enough. The inner child, always along for the ride our entire lifetime, was in absolute delight and of course wondered if there truly was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. She was given free reign to dream into that possibility.
Once home, as I took steps along the walkway to the front door, I looked out at the mountain range and was stunned. The rainbow stretched from one end of the valley below to the other and yes was captured in the photo above. Elemental nature’s gift as a reminder that it is the moments of not knowing what will show up next that opens our awareness to beauty, mystery and the wholeness of being embodied here.
I am finding more often that letting go of what the cultural narrative, or the self critical voice inside, dictates we “should be doing and acting like” and instead revisiting the joy of inhabiting a child like curiosity and sense of play is truly freedom. Bringing depth and pleasure to our precious life moments. Even those that challenge us the most.
“I think on some level, you do your best things when you’re a little off-balance, a little scared. You’ve got to work from mystery, from wonder, from not knowing.”
Willem Dafoe
Within the uncertainty of our present world and our individual unique lives we are offered the opportunity to practice spontaneity, awe, wonder, curiosity – embracing the terrain of each unfolding moment – especially in those moments when we are off balance, challenged or scared.
As Hanna Naude says in the video below we all have an “inner child” that travels with us our entire life. Why not indulge and simply trust life unfolding…..all of it, even the hard parts.
“Why are we so obsessed with knowing everything? While there’s nothing wrong with knowledge and understanding, our insatiable desire to know and control all aspects of our lives often gets in our way of trying new things.
There is no shame in not knowing, there is only freedom. An uncertain mind is an open mind. It is a mind which is curious and interested. It allows us to be creative and willing to live in a state of wonder and possibility, like children do.
When we meet life with a genuine sense of uncertainty, we cease to project that which we think we know, and we instead begin to see life for what it truly is. It is life itself, unfolding before our eyes.”
Filmed in Montagu, South Africa by Green Renaissance.
Featuring Hanna Naude.
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Please note that all blog posts can be seen on the HOME page if you scroll down to the bottom for Archives
You can find ALL of the 31-Days of Joy & Laughter Project posts in the archives here: http://atomic-temporary-171801894.wpcomstaging.com/2021/12/
Gaye Abbott, Natural Passages Consulting, 9/8/22. Please feel free to share this post.
The Door Is Wide Open – But Don’t Let The Old Man In
WHY DO YOU STAY IN PRISON WHEN THE DOOR IS SO WIDE OPEN?
Rumi
Facing the fact of our own mortality is something we fall into intimacy with as we enter the elder years of our embodied life.
What is dignified aging? Feeling the pain and the joy. The challenges and the easy parts. The tapestry of life we weave for ourselves and with others.
Living and acting from a place of peace, serenity, humor and gratitude is not always easy. We forget.
Open your eyes and your heart.
Engage with that which uplifts and inspires you.
“Don’t let the old man in.” ~Michael Canfield
People often assume that if someone is giving thanks, it’s because their life is easy and that they have nothing to be negative about. This is not the case at all. Those who practice gratitude understand that it’s how you think about a situation, that makes it easier or more difficult.
As you practice gratitude, the focus shifts from what is lacking in life to the abundance that already exists. It is a matter of retraining the brain to see all the wonder and possibility that lies before us each day.
So.. what are you grateful for today?
Filmed in Tulbagh, South Africa.
Featuring Michael Canfield.
To hear more of Michael’s music, visit:
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/52kdadFLUpEh2v8fZPDGO6?si=n9xgY6UYQ7ioFd14iNULyw&nd=1
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/RhythmSectionAfrica
WILDLY FREE ELDER LINKS:
NEW OFFERING ON WILDLY FREE ELDER
FREE download! To see contents and description click on this link: https://wildlyfreeelder.wordpress.com/e-book-finding-home-preview/
If you don’t want to miss future posts simply sign up for the blog here: https://wildlyfreeelder.wordpress.com/blog/
Please note that all blog posts can be seen on the HOME page if you scroll down to the bottom for Archives
You can find ALL of the 31-Days of Joy & Laughter Project posts in the archives here: http://atomic-temporary-171801894.wpcomstaging.com/2021/12/
Gaye Abbott, Natural Passages Consulting, 7/22/22. Please feel free to share this post.
Letting Go of the End of the Rope
We were standing in a circle all blindfolded. This was the beginning exercise of the ropes course that some of my “sole proprietor” business women friends and I had signed up for when I lived in Sonoma County, in Northern California.
If you have never done a ropes course it is quite an adventure and a test of courage, balance, trust, discovery, team support…..and willingness to let go and try something that you may never have done before (and may not ever do again!).
Granted this was decades ago I did this, but my body still remembers the experience. More about the standing in the circle blind folded in a moment…..
The image above is an example of what ropes course participants navigate. In the very last exercise of the day we were actually blind folded once again and asked to climb up a skinny tree with some narrow pegs to climb upon, get to a very small platform (that wiggled when you stepped upon it) and then trust that you could catch a trapeze ring that was somewhere in the air ahead of you.
For those of you who are gasping at this daring feat, we were indeed harnessed in so if you miss the trapeze ring you would bounce and then be lowered to the ground. After watching some of my team members miss the ring and simply bounce up and down I thought I was teaching my body that this would be OK.
When I bravely took my turn and landed on the wobbly platform it was then shear terror coursed through my body. Feeling through my other senses to assess right timing and where the ring was ahead of me in the air (ground facilitators could move it back and forth), I took the leap and actually caught the trapeze. With a whoop of delight from me, and a rousing cheer from my team and the facilitators on the ground I was lowered back to stand on the safety of the earth.
Sometimes I feel like the leap into elderhood is like this. We are supposed to know what we are doing as our body ages and challenges we have never experienced arise without the benefit of an elder rites of passage.
I have found, like the ropes course, it takes courage, trust, a willingness to let go – to not only accept limitations when they present – but also to test those perceived limitations, cultivate curiosity leading to discovery, and most important a supportive community along for the ride.
Now back to the beginning of standing in a circle with blindfolds on. Though I knew a couple of the women in the group the others were strangers to me. We heard the facilitators say to us that they just placed a long length of coiled rope in the middle of the circle. Our task was to make a perfect square on the ground from that rope.
As I bent down to start the process of trying to find a part of the rope I was surrounded by everyone’s voice posing a way to perform this task. It was like a cacophony of voices competing with each other saying they knew how to do this.
Meanwhile I had miraculously found the end of the rope and instead of moving around stood rooted to the earth saying over and over “I have the end of the rope, make the square from me.” It seemed like a very long time before anyone really heard me and I was partly in despair that they ever would. But I held my rooted place and finally the din ceased as a few got what I was saying.
After that it didn’t take long for the perfect square to be formed on the ground – starting from where I “had the end of the rope.” Afterwards when we were instructed to take off our blindfolds and hear the facilitators comments I was the first to be targeted.
They pointed at me and said, “”You are the type of person any company/business would value a great deal. The person that grounds and anchors everyone else in order for tasks to be completed, effective actions planned and carried out, and teamwork enhanced.”
I learned a lot about myself that day in so many ways. What the facilitators told me of my pattern of being in life and with others has now come full circle. It feels like I am indeed blindfolded and taking a leap of trust without always being the one to “have the end of the rope.”
Both experiences now blend together. In the dark liquid of creation never having navigated this terrain before. Like being in a chrysalis and emerging as something entirely different.
Today is the day of my birth 74 years ago. Some say that birthdays no longer matter to them, they don’t care about being recognized or celebrated. I on the other hand say why not? There are so many that never make it into elderhood. We are the privileged ones, though sometimes it may not feel like that, to have these elder years to keep exploring, sensing, feeling, offering our wisdom, humor, compassion and love, creating….and simply being.
I envision a rites of passage into our elder years where we support each other along the way by taking turns having the end of the rope….and encouraging each other to leap into the exploration of new territory, though we can’t quite see where we are going to…. or who we are becoming.
See, smell, hear, touch…appreciating what each day has to offer as we fling ourselves out into our lives….one step at a time.
“The beauty of withering is actually moving towards a simplicity of living and an acceptance of living.”
Annie Norgarb.
“Wrinkles, lines, scars – there are many ways that time leaves its mark on our bodies. Yet mainstream culture dreads getting older – we are urged to fight the ageing process, and many feel pressure to lie about their age. But as Betty Friedan famously said: “Aging is not ‘lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” With age can come confidence, and freedom to realize who we really are. As we age, we grow into a deeper kind of beauty, one which works its way from the inside out. It’s a more authentic beauty because it radiates from within. So let’s celebrate lives well lived. And feel lucky to wake each morning to appreciate what the new day has to offer.”
Filmed in McGregor, South Africa. Featuring Annie Norgarb.
Filmed by Green Renaissance: 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
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Gaye Abbott, Natural Passages Consulting, 7/7/22. Please feel free to share this post.
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