When You Wake Up

When you wake up in the morning

And the new day is just dawning,

Instead of wasting time by yawning

Decide that it is time to try

To keep your mind from going dry:

(There still are so many fish to fry!)

So up you go, and start by smiling

At whoever’s phone you’re dialing

(It’s NOT hard to be beguiling!)

Life is like a flowing stream

Rippling days with Age Esteem!

Written for AgeEsteem® by Alexandra Taylor

Happy Alone

I have a small magnet “poem”

On the wall of my kitchen:

“To be happy at home

Is the ultimate ambition!”

The message relayed is to be happy alone

Even if your family and friends have all gone.

Life is so filled with activities:

Holidays, Birthday, Festivities…

But they only play just a part of the goal,

The best thing to turn to is your inner soul!

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

Thank You For A New Year

 Many thanks are in keeping

For the Festive days ahead,

And for all the harvests reaping

The grains for our daily bread.

Thanks for the chance of growing older

And for the blessings in each day.

Thank you for the shine which gets golder,

Brightening spirits, come what may!

Thank you for another new year

Calling us to go ahead, full steam,

And courageously without fear,

Using all we’ve learned from Age Esteem!

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

Aging Blues

December!

Remember

The things you have to do.

Next year

(Nearly here!)

a time to start anew.

Be clear

Don’t fear

A kind of “Aging Blues.”

Life’s Dear,

Hear? Hear!

It’s special, just like You.

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

A Geneva Tradition: Escalade

Traditions are important as a means of bringing people together for a common purpose. We have family traditions that include celebrating holidays, watching the sunset and greeting visiting friends or family at the airport with flowers. There are also community traditions such as how people celebrate the national holiday together in their town.

The city and state of Geneva, Switzerland have a unique tradition of celebrating the Escalade. It is the day that they commemorate the citizens of Geneva fighting off the Savoyards during the night of December 11th 1602, and thus remaining independent and free.

There is much folklore around the festivities. One story tells of La Mère Royaume, a woman who took the cauldron of vegetable soup off the fire and threw it on the enemy soldiers. This has resulted in delicious chocolate cauldrons filled with marzipan vegetables like those you see strewn over the table in the photo above.

These chocolate cauldrons are then smashed by the oldest and youngest person as they hold hands and say, “And thus perishes the enemies of the Republic!” This is to the great delight of all ages since you then eat the chocolate and its candy vegetables.

Bonnie Fatio

Dates For Healthy Aging

Dates are often considered as a miraculous fruit providing fertility and prosperity.

Low in calories, they are energy providers as they contain a lot of sugar and fiber.  Dates improve lazy intestines and contain minerals such as potassium (good for muscles and the nervous system), magnesium and phosphorus.  Dates also contain natural aspirin.

We often eat dates during the year-end holiday season. It is a relief to know that this wonderful little fruit is a holiday delicacy that is actually good for us.

Grandma Nature

Ginger For Healthy Aging

Ginger has been known and used for centuries as a relief for nausea and stomach ailments.  Even a ginger snap cookie will be effective in calming motion or morning sickness.  Ginger ale helps as well or adding fresh ginger, so delicious, to cooking – especially in Chinese recipes.

In addition to being a miracle cure for all kinds of motion sickness, ginger has many other attributes as well. It is rich in minerals and the B6 vitamin, so necessary for the nervous system. Ginger soothes headaches, helps in easing arthritic pain, stops acidification in the body and strengthens the immune system against colds. It can be consumed through various ways: in cooking, in candy, and in cookies to name a few.

When we eat healthfully it also enhances our age esteem as we have more energy to contribute our talents and experience in meaningful ways.

Grandma Nature

Holly Days With Age Esteem

Jolly is this season’s clue,

As a way to shed the blues.

Decorate your inner “tree”,

Shine with stars, be tinselly!

Give yourself the Gift of Time.

Wrap your days with golden twine.

Oh how festive you will seem. –

Holly days with Age Esteem!

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

A RETURN TO LOVE by Marianne Williamson hangs framed on my wall to remind me of my own commitment to shine unabashedly at every age. You will recognize its influence within this Age Esteem Prayer of Thanksgiving. 

An Age Esteem Prayer Of Thanksgiving

Dear God, Spirit of Life,

We thank you for the blessings of the enlightened voices you have given us and the experience, talents and wisdom that have grown us into who we are today.

We know that we each have a unique power within us to manifest our light. – That we are powerful beyond measure.  We were indeed born to manifest the glory that is within us and to share our voices abundantly.

We are grateful for the freedom to let our lights shine unconsciously as a beacon to others so that they, too, might break through their own barriers of fear and self-consciousness.

Be with each person as she and he steps into her own power of voice and “being” her authentic self, filled with love, laughter, gratitude and commitment to test her voice in new ways as a gift to the world.

Guide us to wash away our fears and self-imposed limits in our thinking and actions.

Shower your blessings upon us as we ripen and mature knowing that the definition of aging and elders depends on how WE choose to live and the examples that we become for generations to follow.

And so it is. Amen.

Written for my interview on Using Your Authentic Voice to Transform the World.

Bonnie Fatio

Thank You! 

Thank You, and you, and you, and you,

For friendships old and friendships new,

For those to love in myriad ways,

For lessons learned and festive days,

For Health and Happiness galore,

For Earth’s rich bounty, and much more,

For songs to learn and ones once sung

For growing old while feeling young!

Thanks for having time to live,

Finding verbal gifts to give.

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®