A call to celebrate our elders
Musings on looking at older people as beacons of wisdom and lived experience
Hello, happy Sunday, and happy (almost) SPRING. These past few days in Vancouver have been absolutely glorious and giving us a little sneak peek of spring warmth and blossoms. I’ve been spending as much time as I can outside, which means lots of walks with Win around my neighbourhood encountering other humans doing the same.
One of the (many) joys of having a dog is it often gives you a reason to connect with strangers on the street. This past week I’ve connected with a few older women who saw Winnie and went in for a little pet, and each of these interactions left me feeling inspired to connect more with our elders. It actually prompted a personal goal to smile with every older person I cross paths with moving forward. It was so interesting talking to them, these beings who have experienced so much, and observing that in their faces. My mind didn’t look at their grey hair or the lines on their skin as signs of “being old”, rather evidence of a living through a vast accumulation of experiences. One woman noted my fresh tan and we got talking about her travels in New Zealand back in the day. Another shared that after her walk she was going to sit down with a big slice of cake in the sun. One lady pointed out fresh wood chips put out in place of grass and explained how they were a hazard for older folks as the were easy to trip over (something that never crossed my mind). “You’ll understand one day!” she laughed. All to say, these brief yet lovely moments of connection with elders gave me a sense of groundedness and calm in my nervous system. So many of us live so separated by our elders (particularly in Western culture), and yet it wasn’t long ago that it was the norm to be surrounded by many generations, where the youth received their wisdom and simultaneously cared for the aging members of the community. And this is why I am writing about this topic, in this newsletter centred on wellness topics…because, to me, community and connection are major ingredients to building a recipe for a well-lived life. Honestly, I am BORED of seeing wellness portrayed through the lens of young, early 20 something influencers on Instagram. So you heard it here first, folks: Wellness includes connecting with and respecting elders.
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