WILDLY FREE ELDER
The Artistry of Aging
Elder Muse/Day 27: To Be In Awe
96-year-old Dot Fisher-Smith
“I don’t want to have just visited this world, so I am living as fully as I can with what I have. I want to be a child of wonder and astonishment.”
~Dot Fisher-Smith
“Reclaiming our sense of wonder in the everyday, ordinary moments of life” is something that often happens to us as we reach elderhood. Capturing that sense of awe that was a given for many of us when we were a child is now our precious gift in the latter years of life.
As we face aging limitations, challenges, and death comes closer, we turn to awe and wonder to nourish and enrich our lives. This beautiful elder soul in the video below touched me deeply. Her wisdom, sense of humor, flare and magnificent beauty in every sense of that word shines brightly. Take time to watch it!
“What gives you a sense of awe? You might imagine standing on a wide-open plain with a storm approaching, or holding the tiny finger of a newborn baby. That word, awe – the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world – is often associated with the extraordinary. But you don’t need remarkable circumstances to encounter awe.
You can find it every day, often in the humblest places. Staring up at a starry sky; looking at a sculpture that makes you shudder; listening to a medley of instruments joining into one complex, spine-tingling melody – those experiences remind us that we’re part of something that will exist long after us.
Luckily, we don’t need to wait until we stumble upon it – we can seek it out. Awe is all around us. With a little intentionality, we can reclaim our sense of wonder in the everyday, ordinary moments of life. Perhaps awe, while an ordinary response to the extraordinary, is also an extraordinary response to the ordinary.”
Featuring Dot Fisher-Smith.
Filmed in Ashland, Oregon, USA by Reflections of Life
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and where to place your attention. ~Gaye Abbott
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 by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/10/24
Elder Muse/Day 26 : Time To Immerse – A Return to Nature
“We can’t change the world, but we can change the way we live in it.”
~Grant Hine, Ecotherapist
The sand was so hot that I ended up running down to the ocean on the tips of my toes. A sand ballerina.
A flying leap into the ocean, diving under the nearest wave coming towards shore felt like a wake up caress as my face broke the surface in a joyous return to the elements of salt water, sand, sun, and the warm breeze as I came up for air.
Going against the tide and beyond the smaller breaking waves was a test this day. Every muscle collaborating. Aware of currents that would interrupt the quest for the perfect wave to ride back to shore.
In an instant, glancing back over my shoulder, I saw my wave. The wave I would become one with. Timing, strength, and breath to become one with this body of water rushing to shore.
The joy rush that tickled every cell of my body when catching the wave was a feeling I would come back to over and over again in my life. It took absolute surrender to the power of the water and trust in my body as only the moment of each breath woven with the wave took hold.
Yelling joyfully with childlike abandon at the peak of the wave I glimpsed another dark form riding the same wave not far from me. A sea lion gazed back at me with what seemed to be pure playful abandon.
As I was delivered onto the soft sandy shore feelings of awe and wonder overtook me in recognition that these moments were gifted to me. A reminder never to forget the ground of my being, peace of mind, and open heart are always intimately connected with the wildness and rhythms of the natural world.
NOTE: Many of these moments happened as I grew up in San Diego only blocks from the Pacific Ocean. My playground was the beach, tide pools, collecting shells, ocean, and most certainly riding the waves with my body or a boogie board. The seal incident did indeed happen in N. California, and one of the most amazing experiences in my life – swimming and playing with wild dolphins on the Big Island of Hawaii – will always be with me.
I invite you to take some time now to be with ecotherapist and guide, Grant Hine, as he tells his story in the video below.
What we are truly lacking is a connection with the wild world and its rhythms. Grant takes us out into the Cape Floral Kingdom, where we kick off our shoes and walk barefoot on the earth, touch the bark of a tree, watch a spider spin a web, listen to the birds singing in the branches above. We reawaken our senses.
So no matter where you live, get out there and be wild every now and then. You’ll find connection again.
Filmed in the Cape Floral Kingdom, South Africa by Reflections of Life.
Featuring Grant Hine – Ecotherapist and Guide (zenguiding.com)
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and where to place your attention. ~Gaye Abbott
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 by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/09/24
Elder Muse/Day 25: The Importance of Feeling Seen
A Blue Ridge Mountain Home, N. Carolina/Photography by Gaye Abbott
“Sonder’ is a word of realizing that everyone’s life is just as complex as your own. People are not just there as a backdrop. People are as deeply complex as you. It gives you permission to see people beyond their politic, their clothing, their outward appearance…” ~ Daniel Emuna
We have all heard the quote that a person will forget what you said or did, but they will never forget how you made them feel. I call this the practice of connection.
What if every time we went out into the world we saw everyone we came in contact with, even passing by, as an opportunity to connect?
Actually this is our superpower, and also a powerful remedy for what ails our world right now. Human connection, curiosity, respect, acceptance…and a huge sprinkle of humor here and there thrown in for good measure.
Just the other day a staff member in a grocery store I frequent said to me what a powerful impact I have made in her life simply by connecting with interest and presence. Because of my encouragement and caring she is going on a longed for trip to Turkey to explore spices and the culture, is finally getting her eyes examined from an ophthalmologist I recommended, and is considering leaving her day job at the grocery store and going full time into her own meal delivery service which she is doing on the side now, but hasn’t been courageous enough to do so up until now.
All it took was a few questions of interest here and there from me to her and an on going greeting and sometimes conversation every time I saw her in the grocery store. She had been a complete stranger before I started going to that store and the only time I see her is when I am there.
I could tell so many more stories about how my life and that of those I connected with was changed by recognizing that this “other” whom I was passing by is as deeply complex as I am. Acknowledging that they, like me, simply want to be seen, heard and recognized even if a little fearful in the moment.
A homeless man on a center divider of a turn lane where lots of traffic traveled daily holding up his art; a man who was walking in the park with his dog and was incredibly lonely after a recent troublesome divorce; a woman who’s best friend just died recently and sister had just been diagnosed with cancer; a real life “cowboy” (yes, he was wearing the hat) who instructed me on what it was like to ride a bull at the rodeo; a woman who recently moved to the area and was having a challenging time acclimating to the new Southern culture; and it goes on and on.
Most of these connections made I never see again, but a few have become friends and even clients, What is most important is that we have shared human connection by recognizing we are all in this embodiment together and all complex beings.
When one is seen and engaged with interest, kindness, compassion, openness and respect we open the imagined barrier between us then becoming part of each others life story.
Discovering the beauty of our shared humanity.
Featuring Daniel Emuna ( / daniel.emuna ) Filmed in New York, USA.
All of our films are made possible through the generous support of our patrons. To be part of this journey : http ://www.patreon.com/reflectionsoflife If you’d prefer to make once off contribution, our PayPal details are : paypal.me/reflectionsfilms Join our YouTube channel to get early access to our films : / @reflectionsoflife
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and where to place your attention. ~Gaye Abbott
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 by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/08/24
Elder Muse/Day 24: Climate Surprise -Do We Really Know?
IMAGE: Tree bark contains microbes that absorb methane from the atmosphere. Viswaprem Anbarasapandian – Unsplash
Tree lover? I have been all of my life. The love affair and companionship has just grown stronger as I have aged right along with the trees. Fortunate to be surrounded by them now in every direction I look, I acknowledge they are our guardians, protectors and wise guides on so many levels.
in reading a recent article entitled: Trees Reveal Climate Surprise: Bark Removes Methane from the Environment, I wasn’t surprised to learn of yet another gift that trees bestow upon this planet we all inhabit.
“A surprise discovery from the University of Birmingham shows that we may be significantly underestimating the potential of trees to regulate the variables of climate change.
That’s because they found microbes living inside trees’ bark absorb the greenhouse gas methane about as significantly as microbes living in the soil.”
~Professor Vincent Gauci of U. Birmingham led the study, published in the journal Nature.
One small bit of awareness in the mystery that encompasses all life here and in the vaster cosmos. As humans we often want to nail down facts and in some cases bend them to our will, keep them static. Yet our insatiable curiosity keeps stirring the desire to “know more” and thus “discoveries” continue.
The other side of this is what happens when we operate out of fear and “knowing” – a kind of knowing that is not founded on what is true right now, but instead on speculation, assumption, and the inability to accept that mystery and ever changing abundant possibility is a part of life.
Do you remember the scare and resultant panic many were in when the century changed from the 1900’s to the 2000’s? Perhaps the primal brain was in charge then.
Below is an example of ecological “estimates” that have been magnified out of all proportions. Yes, plastics are in everything now and it is important to eliminate usage as much as possible, but do we really “know” what their impact is now, and will be in the future?
Speculation can encourage effective action, but it can also create panic and chaos.
“It’s not the first time scientists have made estimations regarding climate change and come up incorrect in the wrong way. Climate scientists in the Netherlands recently found that previous estimates about how much plastic entered the oceans over the last 20 years are probably exaggerated by three thousand percent.”
This highlights for me the tendency for humans, even in scientific studies, to state conclusions about “climate change” and the state of our environment as absolutes and most often fear based. This goes on in other domains as well. We end up going up and down like a roller coaster with the constantly changing theories, assumptions and opinions.
When it comes down to it there is always a multitude of possibilities operating. As well as the mystery of just how this beloved planet of ours has sustained itself over millions of years with massive climate changes occurring. We think we know, make assumptions, or even give opinions based on the scientific method yet do we really “know”?
All we know is that everything is always, always changing, collaborating, dying and regenerating in ways we cannot even conceive of.
When we read what is presented as facts through mainstream sources, even the article/study that I linked to in this post, I am reminded to brush up on critical and creative thinking skills and question what is being presented….as well as be open to surprise!
Acknowledging that we won’t ever know for certain – even after doing our research and making grounded assessments – for nothing stays the same. Meaningfully coming to conclusions and actions that match with our values and beliefs for these moments in time with a willingness to stay open and curious.
When it comes right down to it a partnership of creative and critical thinking is a powerful way to ground, create, and expand at the same time. Especially needed right now….
My conclusion with all of this is: PLANT MORE TREES AND ENJOY THEM!
South Yuba River, N. California/Photography by Gaye Abbott
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and where to place your attention. ~Gaye Abbott
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 by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/07/24
Elder Muse/Day 23: Aging Beauty
This post is dedicated to women especially. A reminder that the essence of who we are shines even more brightly once “cultural standards” are surrendered and released as we accept another kind of beauty. One that is so much more about who we have become and are becoming.
The Japanese say – Shi Bui – which translates as the beauty of aging.
Rather than being a fall away from beauty in all of it’s meanings, aging can be the revelation of beauty, the time when the inner radiance becomes visible. The words below struck me this morning as a tap on the shoulder to celebrate the beauty I am now and shine forth….
Aging looks good on anyone who believes that it does.
It’s an inner light kind of deal.
It shines through skin, bone, muscle and sinew – bathing everything you see in a luminous glow of peace, acceptance and utter loveliness.
It’s some sort of chemical reaction when self-love (at last) meets Mother Nature.
Then wisdom and hindsight all join together too and cast their magic –
until what you see is a woman who has evolved, grown, learned and risen many many times.
And it’s a beautiful sight to behold.
So, age however you like because if something is not making you happy, that will show.
Time can’t erase your beauty my friend, only negativity can do that.
– Donna Ashworth
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and where to place your attention. ~Gaye Abbott
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 by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/06/24
Elder Muse/Day 22: Coming To Our Senses
Sunrise, Blue Ridge Mountains, Western N. Carolina/Photography by Gaye Abbott
“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
~Rachel Carson
There have been daily thunderstorms here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western N. Carolina. Lightning streaking down from the clouds, drenching rain, and powerful winds tossing everything about.
Thunderstorms activate all senses demanding that the elements creating this artistry not be ignored. The dog and kitty I am caring for hate these storms, but I adore them for their magnificence. There is such uncontained power, yet also the ability to cause destruction and harm.
Thunderstorm in Blue Ridge Mountains
Nature constantly reminds us how vulnerable and fragile humans are in the face of changing weather patterns often wiping away our efforts to encroach upon the wild. A highly wise force to bring us back to taking care of and respecting what gives us life.
Coming back to our senses.
All life is constantly unfolding and changing. Perhaps the storms are a way to remind us of that. To test our resilience in the face of powerful forces that change the way we live each day. To pay attention with eyes wide open.
To remind us that when we shift the natural balance of nature through human interventions, we change the landscape of our own well being.
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and how you can be of service.
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 and attend with open artistry. ~Gaye Abbott
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 by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/05/24
Elder Muse/Day 21: The Light of the Universe
“Every day you play with the light of the universe.”
~Pablo Neruda
“You do not belong to you. You belong to the universe. The significance of you will remain forever obscure to you, but you may assume you are fulfilling your significance if you apply yourself to converting all your experience to the highest advantage of others.
Make the world work, for 100% of humanity, in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone. Nature is a totally efficient, self-regenerating system. If we discover the laws that govern this system and live synergistically within them, sustainability will follow and humankind will be a success.
Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person.”
~Buckminister Fuller.
Be that one person. Direct and simple guidance to the heart of our being.
Isn’t it fascinating how often we spontaneously, or dare I say magically, come across something that helps to move us over an inner threshold that felt stuck in mental clutter. This morning I was mired in the seemingly more challenging facets of what it is to be human, and an elder, right now in our Earth’s unfolding.
We all need expanding and reminding at times. I know I do. To get out of our own way and remember that our daily actions, thoughts and uniqueness does matter.
Thank you Buckminister Fuller!
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and how you can be of service.
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 and attend with open artistry. ~Gaye Abbott
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 by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 07/31/24
Elder Muse/Day 20:Paying Attention
Gratitude is not a passive response to something we have been given; gratitude arises from paying attention, from being awake in the presence of everything that lives within and without us. David Whyte
The adolescent bear scampered down the tree and broke into a run down the road with the doggie I am caring for running as fast as she could after it. She gave it a good doggie try but black bears can run up to 35 MPH so there was no doubt who would win the race.
Black Bear/Blue Ridge Mountain Tree
I share this as paying attention with all of our senses awake is a much richer and more creative way to live the moments of our lives. Especially when walking in bear country which keeps one out of situations where nature and wildlife have an edge. Simple but perhaps challenging to do regularly in this over stimulus world we presently live in.
As David Whyte says in the quote above, gratitude arises from “being awake in the presence of everything that lives within and without”.
There were simple lessons here for me. Trusting a dogs sense of smell and actions telling me clearly that indeed bear, or some wildlife, was nearby; and the importance of paying attention with all of my senses wide awake without distractions.
Yes, you probably guessed, I didn’t look up but simply scanned the area around us. All were safe including the bear, and I am certain Reese the dog had an experience that made her day. Active gratitude with lessons!
I sometimes wonder about all that I am missing by not paying attention within and without in this mindful sense oriented way.
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and how you can be of service.
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 and attend with open artistry. ~Gaye Abbott
If you don’t want to miss future posts simply sign up for the blog here: https://the wildlyfreeelder.wordpress.com/blog/
Please note that all blog posts can be seen on the HOME page by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/03/24
Elder Muse/Day 19: A Village of Elders
A village without the elderly is like a well without water. Meaning: What water is to a well, elders are to a society.
African Proverb
Throughout most of my life the elders in my village were honored and respected. Without them the community would not have substance or grounding. Vision or wisdom. Rites of passage for the young, or awareness of the life beyond this one.
We were the chosen ones simply because we had traveled many paths to get to the most aged of years when all became clear and transparent….even beyond the veil of mystery shrouding the unexplainable.
Everyone knew we were the source and the resource. The best story tellers keeping everyone transfixed as we sat around the fire at night bathed by the stars and moonlight. The drumbeat and call of the panther our background music.
Because of this our communities thrived based on the wisdom we possessed that was followed, respected and treasured by all. Everyone knew that one day, if fortunate enough, they would also be an elder.
Our simple life depended on honoring and respecting the natural world surrounding us. We have always known we were made of earth, fire, water, wind and stars.
How could we not be for when we die we return to those same elements.
Then it all changed when a society different from our own thought they knew what was best for us and became too busy to care. We are the ancient ones who cannot be replaced by taking away our dignity.
We have a voice that can be heard throughout the cosmos based on eons of life upon this earth. We know who we are and are not afraid to stand tall and look you in the eyes. A gaze so intensely real that no one can look away.
What we tell you can only be transmitted if you are courageous enough to gaze back with your entire being.
What are you receiving now?
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and how you can be of service.
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 and attend with open artistry. ~Gaye Abbott
If you don’t want to miss future posts simply sign up for the blog here: https://the wildlyfreeelder.wordpress.com/blog/
Please note that all blog posts can be seen on the HOME page by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/02/24
Elder Muse/Day 18: No Net Will Appear
Crossing over a threshold from one stage of life, or even in one single moment, can be disorienting. It may be a subtle transition over time or a sudden wake up call that you are now in Emerald City, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, and nothing is really the same.
Once you decide to avoid your comfort zones and take off into unknown territory the next story of your life begins.
Not, “the net will appear”, but instead realizing all of a sudden there is NO NET to catch you or break your fall….you are attached to a bungee cord!
Instead you will spring back, not to where you started from but perhaps to see life from a new perspective. Minus the “knowing”, control, expectations and filters. You are given another opportunity.
Rather like the time I was hiking the old Hawaiian trail on the Napali coast where one wrong step taken in fear would have taken me over the cliff side to my death in the churning waves far below.
I certainly didn’t have a bungee cord or hiking ropes attached to me, but instead realized what was necessary was an absolute trust in my ability to cross the threshold, the narrow trail taking a 90-degree turn with wind blowing, into a different perspective of my life. Taken one step at a time.
Sound like your life these days? Once we cross over a threshold of sorts there is no way back to where we came from nor to whom we identified ourselves to be. That day on the trail transformed completely who I thought I was and the direction my life was to take.
Becoming and evolving as an elder in our present day culture is a little like jumping off of that bridge or hiking a narrow trail with nothing to hang onto. Thrill seekers aside, it just seems like there is one opportunity after another. What I would call thresholds.
How we navigate this new territory can be very revealing if we choose to bring awareness along for the ride. Not old patterns of thinking and being, but instead a sense of adventure, acceptance, and a vibrant curiosity especially in challenging circumstances.
The jumping off point, or the steps one takes over the threshold, bring you home. What is that?
My beloved friend who died suddenly at the beginning of 2023 said “we are all walking each other home”. Now that could mean until we leave our embodiment here, or into the self revelation of just how magnificent we are in our newly discovered wholeness and what we will do with that.
You choose…..
31 days of Daily Elder Muse blog posts accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled. Yes, the Muse is back again during this powerful and challenging shift time on our planet. May these words, stories and images assist you to remember who you are….and how you can be of service.
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 and attend with open artistry. ~Gaye Abbott
If you don’t want to miss future posts simply sign up for the blog here: https://the wildlyfreeelder.wordpress.com/blog/
Please note that all blog posts can be seen on the HOME page by clicking on the Blog Archives tab.
Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 08/01/24
WILDLY FREE ELDER 