William Penn Life, 2016 (51. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2016-11-01 / 11. szám
Aging Well with Cathy Graham Keeping life simple IT REALLY IS THE SIMPLE THINGS that get to me the most: the touch of a hand on my shoulder, an unexpected kiss on my forehead placed by my daughter, the back bends and dance steps my dog does when he sees me. My life echoes yours — perfectly imperfect, silently loud and riddled with prickly bushes and warm cups of tea. At the end of the years, that is all we have ever had. Money, or lack of it, means nothing. Our accomplishments count little unless they propelled someone else forward. We — and I do mean collectively all of us — are simple, ordinary beings open to whimsical brushes of the extraordinary when we open up our hearts. Brilliance and sadness share the same broom, sweeping us first forward then backward in the next stroke. To weather the ride, we put our faces to the wind and sip on shallow breaths so we can feel the vibrations of being. Not complex or difficult, we would be fools to think little more mattered than our faith in God and a willingness to take care of each other. Imagine, if you can, a modest neighborhood where all the creatures cared about each other and took care of themselves as if their brother's life depended on it. Once boiled down, we are not more than that. Fancy how that could work, using just salt and pepper to spice our lives instead of competing for embellished flavor. If we took the rat out of the race and served with a meandering promise of cautiously regarding life as a fragile piece of porcelain...if we would speak softly and gently as Photo © Can Stock Photo Inc./ Melpomene not to shatter the egg...for one day, one hour or even one minute, if we could hold hands instead of weapons and feel the pulse of another life and breathe the same tempo with the tiniest squeeze of acceptance...then sleep would come sooner and stay longer. My life echoes yours holding on to the hope of a peaceful tomorrow and a cherished good night. Cathy Graham is director of the Graceful Aging Wellness Center at Bethlen Communities in Ligonier, Pa. Show your WPA pride! We have a shipment of our popular Lands’ End® brand, 100% cotton, short-sleeved polo shirts featuring an embroidered William Penn Association logo. These are the same comfortable shirts worn by volunteers at various WPA events. The men’s shirt features a two-button placket, and the women’s shirt features a four-button placket. Available in charcoal heather grey only, while supplies last. Name:_ Address: City:___________________________State:__________Zip:____________ Email:____________________________________________________________ Size (Circle One): Mens S M L XL XXL Womens S M L XL XXL Make check payable to "William Penn Association.” Mail form & check to: Shirt Offer, William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233 WILLIAM PENN LIFE 0 November 2016 ° 9
