Celebrating her life in her 80’s, and taking a frank look at it infused with humour creates a secret sauce for her version of the good life.
I think we can all agree, embracing your age and living with a positive mindset adds so much to life. I am blessed to have a front row seat to this at Wellings.
Friends lifting each other up, and quick tour around the community on an electric bike, a song or two on the Karaoke machine and let’s not forget the baking! There’s always baking.
In what ways do you bring the sparkle to your day and those people who light you up?
No matter how old I am, how much the wiser I get, around the consumption of sugar, I still can’t resist a little something now and again. I think of the month of February as the month of comfort food, and that includes goodies as well.
Simple guilty pleasures that are easy to make and give out to friends and neighbours. It makes me smile and feel good! A win for sure.
Enjoy the warmth of giving and the satisfaction of the flavours.
Click the link now to view the full list of 60 easy and delicious last-minute homemade Valentine’s Day treats and impress your loved ones today!
“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.”
-Oprah Winfrey
It always hits me in June, realizing that my Dad is no longer with me in the physical sense. Fortunately, Dad and I had a relationship that was a good one. He was a life force you couldn’t ignore, and he is omnipresent. My Dad wasn’t the best communicator by today’s standards, but I was a reasonable observer and always felt loved and supported. I was acutely aware of how he did things, how he conducted himself and lived in awe of how much he accomplished with less than a high school education. By the time he came clearly into my vision, I had observed that passion with hard work and charisma would yield a life that provided much for us kids and our Mum.
He had confidence, a fierce drive to win, and always felt a sense of pride when any of us achieved our goals, no matter how big or small they were. He didn’t realize it, but through his living example and our working relationship that spanned more than 25 years, he taught me about confidence, self-worth, following my passion, authenticity, loyalty, and humble pride.
It’s no surprise I married a man with some very similar characteristics, and he might be considered the champion of my life. I have set a course for myself and find that when my true North is elusive, he’s there for guidance and encouragement. Kevin recognizes more of my strengths than I do, and he reminds me to look back at my life and take it all in. At that moment, I am sure I stand just a little taller. I couldn’t be in a better place!
SO, this June, I want to acknowledge the men in my life who have been champions for me and so many others. They are solid and fierce winners in all they do: husbands, fathers, partners, providers, sons, friends, mentors, BBQing kings, and jokesters. These guys love life and are often heard saying, “bring it on!” They are the ones I think of when I need a boost of confidence or a breath of fresh air. I love strong humans who live life as only they can, this includes my family and friends, and I am so proud to see many of us embrace our authentic power. I have a strong belief in empowering women to change the world, and it’s happening! In my world, strong masculine types have always been a part of my life and a substantial positive influence, often encouraging me to follow my passions and, in so doing, make positive change. Dad taught me early that it was okay to stand up for my beliefs and give more weight to those playing inside the arena I was in. Not all lessons were easy, but I am happy to have these remarkable men in my life and have fully embraced my male energy. Humanity is masculine and feminine, and we are better together. When I embrace the fact, I have both male and female energies to work with, it makes for a good formula to handle just about anything that comes my way. I hope that’s the case for you too!
Love you guys, and Happy Father’s Day to those of you who are Dads.
Many of our members look to us to get them started or to help them gain a fresh perspective. It’s a beautiful thing to see people transform right before your eyes, as they meet people of a similar age, with similar interests and ways of communicating.
Aging well requires a commitment to shifting your mindset to become open to new ideas, be mindful of the present, look forward to the future while embracing the wisdom of the past. These vibrant young-seniors are youthful but not obsessed with being young. They don’t realize it all the time, but they are blazing the trails for the next generation of seniors. Setting the benchmark for what should be expected to age well and live well.
Many of them believe that the best is yet to come in terms of their needs, and they are grateful for the wisdom and the time to reflect on what they want from life now and into the future.
Rachel Henry, Wellings of Picton, says, “for example, many of our members recognized that they were alone more than they wanted to be. They didn’t necessarily want a partner, but they wanted people around to socialize with, laugh with, and share some good stories with. Wellings is a good place to meet people, laugh, and find opportunities to connect with the greater community.”
Volunteerism is an excellent example of engaging in the greater community at something you find fulfilling. Wellings is committed to connecting our members with staff who are educated in aging well and community service leaders and local initiatives to encourage participation outside the community.
There are so many opportunities to connect, such as community centers, community gardens, festivals, providing art classes, yoga teaching for seniors, cycling clubs, and walking or hiking clubs. The possibilities are endless. Further, we have found that the people we engage in the volunteer realm are healthier, happier, and seem to wake with a sense of purpose. This is important because it involves the mind, engages people in conversation, and keeps us more youthful.
As we age, we tend to become less social, as our friend group shrinks, but there are people all around us, we just need to find ways to connect our passions and hobbies with people who share them. Unfortunately, many people would equate independence with going it alone. Still, we know that to maintain overall good health, we need some element of social interaction. Everyone’s needs are different, but we do know that too much isolation isn’t good, especially for seniors.
Successful aging or aging well means different things all over the world. Still, a common thread seems to be taking the steps necessary to stay connected.
We are proud to be a great resource to many volunteer organizations and would be happy to be a resource for you, should you need us.
If you know of a volunteer organization that would benefit from the 55 plus community, let us know.
Enjoy this TED-X talk from Cathleen Toomey, it really resonated with us:
