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. |
It doesn’t seem that long ago since I was wondering if I would even be on this earth in 2021. It just seemed such a ‘long shot’ – who am I that I should survive that long? Many humans don’t. I was appreciating that it was already a privilege to have reached the age of 50. Here I am, though, working full time and enjoying the challenges of looking after children in their home, providing security and safety after their unsettled, and often fearful, lives so far.
My legs are aching slightly after a gentle body workout that I do most days to help me build a body that will sustain me as I take on ever-increasing responsibilities. A friend wants me to look after her little girl sometimes, as we both agree that childcare should be shared with trusted people in the community, so that children benefit from other ways of looking at life, and all involved benefit from the honesty and truth of a child’s reflection. I feel privileged to be so trusted and I know I have a lot to offer as a woman who has the wisdom of age, who lives in Love, as much as she can, and who has much joy to share with this little girl. I lovingly bathe in her spontaneity, her curiosity and natural authority. Her little body is nearer to God than most of us adults, having been born only months ago. She is formlessness into form, fresh from the Universal Love from whence we all were originally breathed forth. How fortunate am I to be so trusted!
As I sit and reflect on the beauty of the moment and the deep appreciation I feel for my life, the office computer, in its standby state, presents me with a photo of a beautiful ruin. I click on it to reveal the description of this place. It is of the Mount of Parnassus, a magnificent temple complex in Delphi, Greece. "Welcome to the centre of the world" says the description of the Temple of Athena Pronaia, a once busy but very sacred site. A half a mile away the massive Temple of Apollo stood where the Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi, made her prophecies. "These days," says the description, "visitors will see large numbers of ruins in what was once the headquarters of wisdom in the ancient Western world." As I read about the Pythia and other priestesses, I’m feeling confirmation that, in their ancient wisdom, their community would have had an openness about it, and a joy of sharing the practicalities of living and of parenting. This is a feeling deep in my body, I do not have proof or evidence to offer here, and it prompted me to do more research about the women and men who lived together in this place at that time. It seems that in the many-layered mists of time, patriarchy in the form of Christianity changed that community so that the women no longer were allowed their customs and rituals.
The confirmation I feel so strongly with the women in those ancient times is showing me that what I have in common with their ways of being and living is community and purpose. I would not have been able to have all the energy and love I have in my body if I had been alone and unsupported as I have been for much of my life. Indeed, my old life in my fifties was as a solitary being, in a challenging job but with little support, feeling tired with the weight I was carrying. In fact, I retired early because of all that density and heaviness in and around me. Now I have around me the support of women and men who have helped and encouraged me to reach out and to accept help that is offered.
From the person who encouraged me to "just write a paragraph" when I became stuck with my writing, to those who helped me find out more about intimacy in relationships and how to express what I need, to those who trust me with their precious children and to those who have given me the understanding of energy and its wide-reaching effects, and to family and friends whose love I have been able to at last let into my heart, I deeply appreciate their support. I have much guidance from others, both seen and unseen, along the path of living the Ageless Wisdom that I have been shown, and now I am making it my living way. I am appreciating so much that I wouldn’t be able to do what I am doing today without these loving people around me. I feel that I am so much more than one person now, no longer alone, because of the community love and connection around me.
Christina M., UK
If you enjoyed this article you may also like to read:
Beauty in Full Bloom – Celebration in Our Elder Years
My legs are aching slightly after a gentle body workout that I do most days to help me build a body that will sustain me as I take on ever-increasing responsibilities. A friend wants me to look after her little girl sometimes, as we both agree that childcare should be shared with trusted people in the community, so that children benefit from other ways of looking at life, and all involved benefit from the honesty and truth of a child’s reflection. I feel privileged to be so trusted and I know I have a lot to offer as a woman who has the wisdom of age, who lives in Love, as much as she can, and who has much joy to share with this little girl. I lovingly bathe in her spontaneity, her curiosity and natural authority. Her little body is nearer to God than most of us adults, having been born only months ago. She is formlessness into form, fresh from the Universal Love from whence we all were originally breathed forth. How fortunate am I to be so trusted!
As I sit and reflect on the beauty of the moment and the deep appreciation I feel for my life, the office computer, in its standby state, presents me with a photo of a beautiful ruin. I click on it to reveal the description of this place. It is of the Mount of Parnassus, a magnificent temple complex in Delphi, Greece. "Welcome to the centre of the world" says the description of the Temple of Athena Pronaia, a once busy but very sacred site. A half a mile away the massive Temple of Apollo stood where the Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi, made her prophecies. "These days," says the description, "visitors will see large numbers of ruins in what was once the headquarters of wisdom in the ancient Western world." As I read about the Pythia and other priestesses, I’m feeling confirmation that, in their ancient wisdom, their community would have had an openness about it, and a joy of sharing the practicalities of living and of parenting. This is a feeling deep in my body, I do not have proof or evidence to offer here, and it prompted me to do more research about the women and men who lived together in this place at that time. It seems that in the many-layered mists of time, patriarchy in the form of Christianity changed that community so that the women no longer were allowed their customs and rituals.
The confirmation I feel so strongly with the women in those ancient times is showing me that what I have in common with their ways of being and living is community and purpose. I would not have been able to have all the energy and love I have in my body if I had been alone and unsupported as I have been for much of my life. Indeed, my old life in my fifties was as a solitary being, in a challenging job but with little support, feeling tired with the weight I was carrying. In fact, I retired early because of all that density and heaviness in and around me. Now I have around me the support of women and men who have helped and encouraged me to reach out and to accept help that is offered.
From the person who encouraged me to "just write a paragraph" when I became stuck with my writing, to those who helped me find out more about intimacy in relationships and how to express what I need, to those who trust me with their precious children and to those who have given me the understanding of energy and its wide-reaching effects, and to family and friends whose love I have been able to at last let into my heart, I deeply appreciate their support. I have much guidance from others, both seen and unseen, along the path of living the Ageless Wisdom that I have been shown, and now I am making it my living way. I am appreciating so much that I wouldn’t be able to do what I am doing today without these loving people around me. I feel that I am so much more than one person now, no longer alone, because of the community love and connection around me.
Christina M., UK
If you enjoyed this article you may also like to read:
Beauty in Full Bloom – Celebration in Our Elder Years