upcoming event

Several of my current and former gerontology students at Marylhurst University are committed to the profoundly important work involved in end-of-life issues. Of interest to them, and perhaps some of you reading this blog, is an upcoming event sponsored by the Oregon Gerontological Association. Mary Ballantyne, RN CHPN will be speaking on the cultural aspects of end-of-life care.

Mary began her hospice career over 13 years ago. When she did her preceptorship at Hopewell House (many years ago), she knew this was the area of nursing she wanted to be a part of and contribute in some small way to the Dignity of Life. She is a certified Hospice and Palliative Care nurse, and had received her certificate in Training and Development from Marylhurst University. Mary is active in the community, she is the Chair of the Speaker’s Bureau for Senior Providers Information Network and is involved in various committees within the Providence System. Mary’s primary role with Providence Hospice is clinical educator for both East and West Providence Hospices. Her primary audiences are staff in nursing homes, Senior Centers, Colleges Adult Foster Homes as well as for the community. She hopes through her education she can help the care-givers and nurses continue the excellent work they do in caring for end of life patients.

Mary's presentation takes place Friday, September 18th, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. (yeah, I know, that's a bit early! But you can start the day with an inspired heart and mind!) in the Old Library @ Marylhurst University (www.marylhurst.edu).

For more information and to register for the workshop, visist the Oregon Gerontological Association web-site: www.oregongero.org

Letting Go

“We come in to the world naked and alone, “ as the saying goes, “and we leave it the same way.”  It’s what we do in the middle that is telling. 

Most of us accumulate possessions and perhaps wealth. “What I have is what I am!”, we shout. We believe that we are “graded” on the address of our home, the nameplate on our car, the church we belong to, the school our children attend, and our bank account.  Then, for some of us, we come to a magical moment when we realize that perhaps we have enough and that we could stop stockpiling the material goods.  Or we don’t have an option because we have lost our job or ability or desire to acquire more.  What do we do?  How do we respond?

When we realize that none of the things we were being “graded” on in our earlier life really matters the door is opened and we are on the precipice of our journey in to aging intentionally.  Our life is about to change!

If we are courageous enough to step in to this opening we start to review our accumulated lives and seek other answers about what is meaningful.  We loosen our grip on material possessions and spend time finding our own answers to questions like, “Who am I?”;  “Where am I going?”; and “Who do I want to accompany me?”

Harry Moody says that this is the moment when we recognize the importance of developing the “Soul”.  Where shaping the soul occupies our interest and becomes life’s priority. What did I learn along the way? How did I serve others? Am I open to life? These are the dominant questions of this time of life and the ones we really want to be “graded” on...but graded by our own knowing not others.

Sister Joan Chittister says it better than I, “We have a chance to become what all the living has enabled us to be.  Now we can make sense of it. But only if we can let go of the past. Only if we can let go of all the old ideas of success, all the old marks of humanity and finally, now, allow ourselves to become simply human instead.” (The Gift of Years)

intergenerational inquiry

One of the persistent preoccupations I've had for the past several years has to do with fostering opportunities for collaborative human development. I'm provoked by the strong idea that we can come together for mutual learning, support, and praxis as whole human beings traveling through the life-course. Aging is a profoundly intense lived experience we are all having, no matter where we happen to be in our travels in terms of chronological age and life-course stage. How can we share our experiences related to the aging journey? What connections can we make, those of us who are working in the field of gerontology, between our personal and professional experiences related to aging? And what are ways into understanding the aging experiences of others--whether those "others" are our family members, friends, clients, or our own "inner elders"? These are just a few of the questions I've been asking myself, my students, my colleagues, my gramma, random people I meet...there are certainly many more questions to be asked. I wonder what your questions are?

I'll have an opportunity to explore some of these questions tomorrow, Wednesday September 16th, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Summerplace Assisted Living (15727 NE Russell, PDX, Oregon) as part of their Education and Empowerment Series.

I will kick off the series by presenting a seminar entitled "Intergenerational Inquiry—Thinking Together." I can't wait! Maybe I'll see you there?

Blog Under Construction!

So, my friend David Rozell and I have decided to start a blog. We've been working together for a few years on various projects related to life-transitions, deep human development, and creative aging. We are committed to collaborative work -- we want to engage in fruitful conversations with others about provocative ideas related the the human journey of aging. So, stay tuned!