The ever Saintly Valentine
Is a special friend of mine;
He has the gifts which come with time
(the ones which are so hard to rhyme!)
Such thoughtfulness and love and care,
And generosity to spare.
He’s ageless and esteemed the way
He keeps hearts full on his own day.
I always feel so very merry
On that date in February!
Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®
Valentine collage by Bonnie Fati0
Going to the movies is good for your age esteem.
Big Bird
Big Bird is a gift for all ages, and a symbol of age esteem. When our four year old granddaughter and I met him at Busch Gardens, Florida, we were both equally thrilled. - And we both wanted our photo with her!*
When I met her I said, “Oh, Big Bird, you have been my idol forever!”, later to discover that she was created in 1969. She represents the generation between our granddaughter and me. So this is truly an intergenerational photo.
Big Bird is definitely a friend of AgeEsteem® and a gift for all ages.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Today is celebrated as Thanksgiving Day in several countries of the world. But isn’t every day a day of thanksgiving? We have so much to be thankful for ! Even on the days that seem to be grey and dismal when we want to complain, we can be thankful that we are capable of complaining. It means that we realize that life could be better and that we still have higher aspirations than just what today may bring.
Gratitude is an important facet of age esteem. Gratitude, feeling thankful because we recognize our blessings, is key to feeling good about yourself at the age you are today. What are you thankful for?
I am thankful to be capable of thinking and learning.
I am thankful for my sight, that makes it possible to bask in the beauty of nature.
I am thankful for my hearing and to enjoy laughter and the rustling of leaves.
I am thankful for my arms that make it possible to hug.
I am thankful for my voice and being able to express my thoughts aloud.
I am thankful to feel emotions, especially love.
I am thankful to smell the freshness of the air after a storm.
I am thankful for Age Esteem.
I am thankful for family and friends.
I am thankful for those without names who have touched my life.
I am thankful for those who share their goodness.
I am thankful for YOU.
Bonnie Fatio
Daniel Meylan, 76, Paris, France
Age esteem? Esteem is already important alone. With age it is even more important. It is good to put them together. We’re not so old. We must continue to esteem ourselves and to care for ourselves well, not let ourselves go.
Daniel’s Tips: I force myself not to let go of what I have always done. I oblige myself to stay physically fit and to not be a vegetable. I walk a lot. A couple weeks ago I fell because I was racing to catch a bus. It was a lesson. I will not do that again. It has taken me these weeks to recuperate my normal way of walking, which has to do with regaining confidence.
At present I have a problem. If I don’t know people, I have a difficult time to carry on a conversation like I used to. I am destabilized because I don’t find my words like I used to. As a result I panic which makes it worse. To improve this I am going to a coach specialized in helping me find the words that I have lost. It is a long journey. I completely stopped speaking at a certain point and now I am trying to recuperate the vocabulary I’ve lost. I’ve also lost much of my English and my German. Now I force myself to make conversation with others. I actively engage in social occasions.
For the intellectual side I read books on the Middle Ages to learn about that era. It is very difficult for me to concentrate, but I insist on doing it. It is also another way to recuperate some of my words.
It’s also important to be with family, with the grandchildren regularly.
I go to a center for older people several times a week. There is a woman there who is 100. She manages to keep physically and mentally fit and is a strong role model for me. She is well dressed. I am considered someone who is still completely present. I feel comfortable there but sometimes wonder why I go. I am still completely independent which isn’t the case for most. I get there and home by my own means. I want to keep my autonomy. It’s important for me.
We go there to live as well as possible as long as possible. I am in the section that designs and paints in the morning and does gymnastics in the afternoon, though I am in much better physical form than the others.
I am strict with myself for all questions of remaining in shape.
Esther Janine Zehntner, 69, Swiss
Everyone is aging. So am I. Age esteem is to cope with that situation as I had to cope when I was young with my age then.
At the moment I don’t have any problems with getting older. I’m aging and I think it also liberates in one way or another. I do think I would be scared if I had to completely depend on people without being able to communicate with them.
Esther’s Tips: I am living today with my mind within a span of maybe 10 years. Today I am retired. I am used to being retired and I’m planning to go ahead like this. I am of good health. Therefore I take life the way it comes with the opportunities that it has for my particular age group. It would be different if someone was already handicapped or forced into a situation like that.
I think you have to take life the way it comes and to be open to this. I’m not sitting in a chair all day. I am thankful that I have always been healthy. I try to live moderately and not exaggerate what I am doing. I move. I have some sports but I’ve given up dangerous sports. I no longer climb, but I do take advantage of the opportunities that my country Switzerland is offering me. I use a bike. I walk.
Esther Janine Zehntner volunteers at the Swiss YWCA.
Rita Battig, 57, Swiss
What does age esteem mean to me? I know I am much more self-secure with myself at my age than I was when I was younger because of my experiences, good experiences, bad experiences, people I met; and that gives me age esteem. I must say that I have lived abroad quite often so I am not a typical Swiss, Swiss. I’m proud of that, actually.
Health is a priority as I age. To be independent, moving around without anyone’s help is a concern. As I’m married and without children, loneliness is also a concern. I don’t know how my years to come will be. I am still working and still have seven years to go before my pension. Then I don’t know. My health is still in good shape. I love traveling so I would like to travel and be self-sufficient.
Rita’s Tips: Be on the move physically and mentally. Meet people from other cultures. I think nice encounters can happen and friendships grow. I’m lucky I still have friends from where I stayed in England, Spain and South America. If possible give good advice to young people from your experience. Guide young people if they let you. Sometimes they don’t. Now days they know everything better. It’s another time than when we were young. We depended more on older people than they do now. But I would like to give my experience further.
Self-confidence comes with experience. I notice that young people today are more self-confident than we were. It is tricky sometimes because they think they are but they lack a lot of experience and judgment as well. Be happy and not to be taken away by the consumerism. Now, especially here in Zurich it is money, money, money. Too many people identify themselves with that. So for me that’s a big danger. Keep to the family, do not drift apart. Realize where you come from. I think this is more important than anything else.
Rita Battig volunteers to help at conferences, etc. to use her knowledge and skills and make new contacts.
Amy Balderson and Bonnie Fatio
Filming for Legacy®
Your life story is an important dimension of your age esteem. Have you shared with others of all ages your values, experiences and lessons learned? No two people live the same experience even though they may live the same event at the same moment. This is why it is important to write your memoirs or record your story on audio or visual, or all three! Each of us has a unique journey to share.
For a special project for Legacy® in Versoix, Switzerland I was asked if I would take part in filming that project. Since I have donated my own story to Legacy®, I know the organization well and was pleased to accept.
Legacy® records and collects in-depth audiovisual interviews of the life stories of people who shape our world in order to preserve them for future generations. I believe strongly in the importance of capturing the stories of personalities alive today and to make these stories accessible to those who will never have an opportunity to meet them in person. They become our virtual mentors.
Perhaps you will be contacted in the future to donate the story of your journey. When this happens, I hope you will respond with a resounding age esteem, “Yes”.
P.S. Here are some extraordinary photos of Versoix where Legacy has its headquarters.
Bonnie Fatio
When is the last time you spent 12 hours non-stop and still had energy to spare? Yesterday? Ten years ago?
Our age esteem soars when we are full of energy and vitality. We feel good about ourselves when our energy seems boundless. We are happier and healthier.
On my hour drive home from playing with my two little granddaughters ages 2 and 4 for ten hours – after my early morning drive to their home – I was still bubbling with energy. I felt exuberant.
Why would I feel energized after such a long day? One reason is that I did not babysit. Instead, I played! We spent the whole day having fun, doing what we enjoyed. It was a powerful lesson on how to put more energy into your age esteem.
If you practice the above you will put more energy into your age esteem and feel happier and healthier. Enjoy!
Bonnie Fatio
Across-generations, Grandparenting, Happiness at Every Age, Secrets to AgeEsteem
Bonnie Fatio, founder of AgeEsteem & Isabel Contreras, Louise Hay trainer
People who have participated in Louise Hay workshops, Heal Your Life, or AgeEsteem programs have a major value in common. – They love themselves as they are at the age they are.
On April 14, Bonnie Fatio was invited to offer “A Taste of Age Esteem” at Life Motivations Center in Bellevue, Switzerland. The evening was magic, filled with wonderful information, thought-provoking exercises and stimulating discussion.
Isabel Contreras, founder of Life Motivations and trainer of the Louise Hay method, said “The taste of Age Esteem was delightful, inspirational and educational. The participants thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot. Bonnie’s great energy came out in absolutely infectious positive energy.”
Among the definitions of Age Esteem given by the participants who ranged in age from the 30′s to 60′s:
