WILDLY FREE ELDER
The Artistry of Aging
Category: Elderhood
Attention Is The Beginning of Devotion
“If asked what my first thoughts are as I awake each morning this is what I say. Gratitude for waking up and feeling the breath fill my body, and in the Spring how much I love the sweet sound of birdsong outside my bedroom window. After preparing green jasmine tea my writing notebook finds its place on my lap with fountain pen poised as I gaze out at the River Birch outside my bedroom window. The question posed each and every morning is “where will I place my attention today?”….
Just Be It
“They were walking slowly with poles in hand, the husband watching that his wife negotiated the hill before her. Seeing their slow and somewhat shaky pace on a very narrow trail I cut across the grassy slope, which was much steeper, so that I could be ahead of them and went on my way leaving them behind.
A bit later they were heading towards me on the trail and I was able to see more clearly the shirt that the woman wore which said in big bold letters “JUST DO IT!”…..
Over 70 – Elderhood In Action!
“Over a year of filming across the globe to tell 18 stories of people over 70. Why? Because there are lives that can inspire our own. Watch “Stories of A Generation with Pope Francis.”
DAY 31: Joy In Life
“I am filled with gratitude as I write this last post in the “31- Days of Joy and Laughter Project” and concurrently complete a 6-day self directed personal retreat to end the year. As all of these posts came from trusting the unfolding in each day – not planned agenda – today’s post reflects that magical synchronicity that constantly fills my life to over flowing.”
DAY 27: Enough Is A “Precious” Feast
“Three years ago I visited my home town of San Diego, California in the beach area of Ocean Beach/Point Loma where I was born, raised and brought three sons into the world – with the purpose of spending time with family still living there. It was like living my life backwards with so many memories arising as I walked my old haunts and the hard packed sand at the waters edge. On one of these walks I reflected on my entry experience at the airport a day before….”
DAY 26: Acceptance With Compassion
“From a wider perspective, accepting life in all its pain, imperfection and beauty our stress and anxiety has the potential to shift us from expectations of how our life should be to acceptance of what is happening now. This creates a spaciousness for curiosity about what might happen next. Accepting the unfolding of life and embracing reality with gratitude. Being aware of the possibilities and opportunities that emerge. I consistently find this easier said than practiced in any given moment.”
DAY 24: A Bit of Light Magic
“Awe, wonder and a bit of dancing around, just like the young child close to us, as we walked into the Winter Lights show outdoors at the N. Carolina Arboretum. What pure magic awaited us as we walked through hundreds of displays in the gardens spontaneously singing with the music and certainly with smiles on our faces the entire time!”
DAY 11: Simple Human Kindness
“These are all simple events that happened in moments in time during a very short walk. Reminding me that there is always opportunity for simple human kindness and connection – giving or receiving – no matter where we are or what we are engaged in…….or even how we are feeling in any given moment. A matter of where we choose to place our attention?”
DAY 4: Playful Offering
“Reminders and encouragement to play are all around us. It is left to us to take advantage of the moments and not hold back. Those very moments of free form improvisation with others, or even alone, shifts attention from old stale patterns of being to living joyously from our hearts and creative souls. Watch children!”
31-Days of Joy & Laughter
“A couple of days ago I realized I no longer choose to have my attention taken by the fear, doom and gloom broadcast daily, whether on our smart phones news feed or while talking to others. I am weary of it all and need a higher vibration energy bath! It is not that I don’t want to know what is happening in the world, but instead the question I am posing to myself, and to you, every day is – where do we want to place our attention? We most always have a choice. For the month of December….”