WISDOM OF ELDERS

The WisdOm of Elders – AN INTRODUCTION

2/4/2022

‘Wisdom’ per se is not by any means a function of age. Whilst elder wisdom can be accessed at any age, it is usually expressed when one has moved out of emotional reactions to people and situations and instead one is able to approach everything before them with the wisdom of understanding and allowing. It comes with full acceptance of oneself, which provides a deeper appreciation and acceptance of others.

RETIRED? HMMM, I'M NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT!

1/4/2022

I recently had to sign a statutory declaration. The document asked for my name, address, etc. and my occupation or qualifications. As I’m no longer working, I wrote down my qualifications. I was later advised that the other party to the stat dec had put down my occupation as ‘retired’. This stopped me in my tracks, asking is retired an ‘occupation’?

CRUSHED BY CATHOLICISM

1/3/2022

Turning the pages of my old photo album one day I was astonished to see the change in me from a toddler to a young school child. I was open to life as a toddler, my body was open, my face was open and joyful; there was a sense of anticipation, forward movement and readiness to embrace life. I was very present. It was a different story when I turned the page to the next set of photographs.

LABELS IN LANGUAGE

1/3/2022

Our use of labels in language can divide and separate us from each other on the basis of age, sex, occupation, social standing, customs and behaviour. There are terms of speech that can be used to discriminate against others who belong to a different religion, class or nationality. It seems that these divisions run deep in our society for these terms to be part of such common everyday language.

TRYING = EFFORT

1/2/2022

Trying takes much effort and underneath this is the age-old behaviour to get it right, to fit in, to be a part of, to be met as an equal. I have been resistant to writing most of my life, it never came easily and it never flowed, and if I wrote anything it was done in the format of dot points. This was not an acceptable way of writing within the education system therefore I avoided writing and never practised or learnt the craft.

THE TIDE WITHIN

1/2/2022

Videographer: Jeanette Macdonald

This morning I watched the sun rise over the highest of tides courtesy of the full moon. As I was watching the waves flow in and flow out at the edge of this massive body of water it suddenly stopped being something I was seeing, something I’ve always seen, maybe ordinary and normal, and I found myself in awe of the amazingness of it all.

WHAT MAKES US WANT TO TRY?

1/2/2022

A baby doesn’t try, a bird doesn’t try, so why, oh why do I? Trying is often applauded in our society. We give someone accolades who tries hard and finally succeeds and we often feel entitled to a result if we put in a lot of effort. We feel sympathy for someone who tries hard, especially if they do not get the desired result. We push ourselves or urge others to try harder.

TRYING 'MASKS' OUR INNATE DELICATENESS

31/12/2021

Trying or going into drive makes me hard, brittle and less resilient. It’s like my body contracts causing tightness in my chest which makes it harder to breathe freely. The jaw tightens and the face becomes set. I lose the natural flow in my step or am less aware of what my body is doing. I lose the sense of delicateness in my fingertips. I might bump into things. I might put something down and forget where it is.

NO MORE TRYING!

30/12/2021

Artist: Bernadette Curtin

No more trying! … to get things right, to fit into the world, to do what is expected, to be what is expected. I can feel I’ve just let go of a lifetime pattern that has held me back from being open to life and true enjoyment, living in a constant state of tension and anxiety. I can feel the Heavens in pure merriment, laughing and rejoicing in this moment of revelation! Hallelujah! She’s got it!

LIFE AS IT WAS KNOWN

1/11/2021

Here I am today with my body worn out. It is old and worn out before its time as it was ignored and not listened to. The ingrained conditioning and family ideals and beliefs, such as having to work hard to become someone or make something of myself ruled the roost. Taking care of my body was never spoken of, never considered.

CYCLES OF LIFE

1/11/2021

Ageing is a process of honouring the body in cycles. As I ponder on my cycle of 67 years, it is not about getting old but a preparation for this cycle as an elder and what that means. As an elder I am preparing my body in every cycle of every year for the completion of this life and passing over to be reborn into the next life. I live my life with the understanding that each life is part of a continuous cycle of rebirth to completion.

Celebrating THE FESTIVE SEASON – Then and Now

1/11/2021

After my father and grandparents had died, my mother and us three sisters and the husbands and kids of my sisters kept this tradition going mainly for my mum. We dreaded it beforehand and actually hated it on the day. It was always around food, a lot of food, and not around connecting, and we always overate and held our tummies after, feeling so full and really uncomfortable. I hear similar stories from other people.

ageing with grace and the enrichment of life

30/9/2021

We have been told that getting old is not something to look forward to. As we see ageing parents, grandparents, great grandparents and look at elderly people, we get a sense that it is not a stage of life to look forward to. We have heard the younger generation saying, “That is what we are going to be like when we get old.”

LOCKED DOWN, LOCKED UP AND LOCKED OUT

30/9/2021

Artist: Bernadette Curtin

In this world climate of locked down, locked up and locked out, how do we maintain our equanimity?

Many people I have spoken to, including some of my own family members, are in disarray, divided against each other, anxious and fearful of a new enemy that they perceive is a threat to their life.

YOU LOOK PRETTY THIS MORNING!

31/7/2021

Artist: Leigh Matson

When I woke this morning and looked in the mirror, a little voice inside me said, ‘You look pretty this morning’. I had a quiet chuckle to myself. Is that even possible as an older woman? Was it the new pink pyjama top or the tousled hair over my forehead or was it an emanation that was coming from within? I doubt that I would have said that to myself when I was younger. How could I be feeling that now at the age of 75?

ageism

30/6/2021

Artist: Joseph Barker

The term Ageism was first coined in 1969 by Robert Neill Butler to describe ageism against older persons.

Old age is not a concept – it is a reality. However, ageism may be an attitude that is quite modern, especially in a global setting that is increasingly youth oriented, a view that is reinforced by media. (1,2)

NEW LIFE, OLD LIFE

31/5/2021

New Life, Old Life … A circular journey, one day at a time, in deep appreciation.

Now at 71 years of age, I am alive and well, observing and safeguarding a young person who is sleeping in her bedroom, quite a privileged position to be in. It is 4.50am on a winter’s morning. Soon, I will be driving home to catch up on my own sleep after a 12-hour night shift.

IS TIME 'RUNNING OUT'?

31/3/2021

I remember when I reached my thirties having a sense of urgency that it was now or never if I wanted to have children. There was a distinct sense that ‘time was running out’ and as the years ticked by the pressure of the burning question increased. My husband obviously felt the pressure of my need and was not open to having a child.

"I'm LATE, I'M LATE, FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE!"

28/2/2021

Artist: Leigh Matson

I have a habit of being late. Not for an interview or work – I am fully responsible there, but for something that might be enjoyable for me such as a session, an outing, an exercise class. I try to fit in all sorts of little things that seem to suddenly become important to do before I go. I get on a momentum and start rushing. Time seems to speed up and I need to hurry to get out the door.

THE QUESTION OF PURPOSE

28/2/2021

When I first heard the word purpose the big question was, “What does this mean to me?” After much wondering and pondering, I considered that purpose maybe meant voluntary work, something within the community, or painting or perhaps a walking group. Then all of a sudden Covid-19 arrived, isolation rules were set in place.

MAGNIFICENCE AT PLAY

31/12/2020

Nursing my 86 year-old mother, I noticed there were some days where she looked old and shrivelled and others where there was an ageless quality about her. On those days she appeared magnificent. I observed this over nine months as her body was preparing to pass over.

LETTING GO OF THE NEED TO GET IT RIGHT

30/10/2020

Artist: Bernadette Curtin

A while back I was offered a job as a dental assistant and, before I knew it, a Yes had popped out of my mouth even though I had never had any training for this work. My first day on the job was such fun as I arrived in the innocence of not knowing and with an openness and willingness to learn and bring what I could. I also had the support of the dental nurse who was about to leave.

UNFOLDING FROM WITHIN – UN-RETIRING

30/10/2020

When I reflect back on my life, I can see a deeper plan that has been evolving over the years, deeper than the roles and experiences that I have lived. It feels to me that as we grow older and if we allow it, we are unfolding from within.

I did not always have this awareness.

FINDING STILLNESS IN ISOLATION

1/10/2020

Living in isolation for these past months during Melbourne's lockdown has given me a settlement, an opportunity to develop inner stillness, therefore more space both within and without to reflect on a deeper level at the choices I made that were detrimental to the health of my physical body and sense of well-being.

ENTITLED TO BE HUMAN

1/9/2020

Artist: Leigh Matson

What does ‘entitled to be human’ mean? My understanding is that it means we are entitled to think whatever we like about our self or another, entitled to react, entitled to be better or lesser, to be judgemental, entitled to eat whatever the taste buds want even if it may not agree with the body, entitled to drive the body and override its messages – all of this shows us that the human being has a sense of entitlement at the expense of our body and our health.

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All written content copyright © 2020 Joy of Ageing Esoterically Pty Ltd and all Authors as mentioned.
Photos copyright © by the photographers: Alan Johnston, Clayton Lloyd, Dean Whitling, Desiree Delaloye, Iris Pohl, Steffi Henn, Steve Leca ,
Shannon Everest, Matt Paul, Gayle Cue

The WisdOm of Elders – AN INTRODUCTION

RETIRED? HMMM, I'M NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT!

CRUSHED BY CATHOLICISM

LABELS IN LANGUAGE

TRYING = EFFORT

THE TIDE WITHIN

WHAT MAKES US WANT TO TRY?

TRYING 'MASKS' OUR INNATE DELICATENESS

NO MORE TRYING!

LIFE AS IT WAS KNOWN

CYCLES OF LIFE

Celebrating THE FESTIVE SEASON – Then and Now

ageing with grace and the enrichment of life

LOCKED DOWN, LOCKED UP AND LOCKED OUT

YOU LOOK PRETTY THIS MORNING!

ageism

NEW LIFE, OLD LIFE

IS TIME 'RUNNING OUT'?

"I'm LATE, I'M LATE, FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE!"

THE QUESTION OF PURPOSE

MAGNIFICENCE AT PLAY

LETTING GO OF THE NEED TO GET IT RIGHT

UNFOLDING FROM WITHIN – UN-RETIRING

FINDING STILLNESS IN ISOLATION

ENTITLED TO BE HUMAN

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