HAVE A HAPPY AND BLESSED EASTER AND PASSOVER

Age Esteem

A Poem
is at home
with in your heart.

A Verse
(even terse)
is an art.

A Rhyme,
every time,
would be smart.

Age Esteem
is to deem (like a dream)
a good start!

Written by Alexandra Taylor after reading
AgeEsteem: Growing A Positive Attitude Toward Aging
by Bonnie Lou Fatio

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:

• Feeling great no matter what my age.
• Love and respect for self and others no matter where we are on the time line.
• Getting the most out of life no matter what the number of years.
• Loving the age I am now.
• Having more respect for older people and being more thankful for them and giving them more respect for age and wisdom.

2012 will be the European Year for Active Aging and Solidarity between Generations.

Solidarity between generations, people of different generations working together,  is essential for our world to function.  Many of the AgeEsteem workshops that I give are around an intergenerational theme and the importance of the complementarity that people of different ages and stages in life offer each other.

It is natural to want to be with others of diverse ages and to have solidarity between generations.  If we look at the family unit we see two, three and even four generations.  It is natural to interact daily with people of other generations, be they younger or older.

• Do you have regular contact with your parents, grandparents, children or grandchildren?
• What contact do you have with younger and older people?
• What benefit do these people bring to your life – and you to theirs?
• Is there a feeling of solidarity between generations where you live and work?
• If you lack contact with other generations, what can you do to remedy this?

People with age esteem tend to be active with positive people of all ages, creating solidarity between generations.

Bonnie Fatio

Growing Old

Why is it that one seems to think
That growing old is past the brink,
And that the rest is all down hill
Without a way to win one’s will?
Age Esteem will return one’s pride
And put a ZIP into your stride
So each day try to do your best:
Aim for Perfection, and with Zest!

Written by Alexandra Taylor after the chapter “Adding Pizzazz To Age” in the book
AgeEsteem: Growing A Positive Attitude Toward Aging
by Bonnie Lou Fatio

Lynne Adams, 71, California,  USA

I think Age Esteem means holding in esteem – that it be a positive approach to thinking of aging.  That means aging could be very positive in your life, and I suppose also depending on what your age is.  To me Age Esteem means that you are esteeming age and getting older.

My own concerns with age would be not having good health.  Not having good health can affect a lot of the other things you like to do, like travel.  A real concern is also memory loss.  Sometimes something will come up and I’ll say, “How did I forget the name of that book, or that person?”   So memory loss is fearful and also living alone if I eventually have to.  Right now my husband is in reasonably good health and we are a fairly active couple, but thinking of living alone would be among my concerns.   I used to be very carefree about a lot of things in life, but now worry more than I would have about certain situations and wondering, “Will this person remember what they’re supposed to do?”, or if we’re planning something in an organization, “Will that person carry through?”  And in the family wondering, will my daughter remember to do this or that?  When she married I was concerned about all the plans we had to make.  I would be more concerned about things like that now that I’m older than I ever was when I was younger.  I’m more of a worrier than I used to be.

Lynne’s Tips:  Keeping a healthy body is important, so I am quite active.  I enjoy sports and I enjoy working out.   I try to keep my body whole.  I recently had a groin pull and it reminded me that I’m not exactly a kid any more.  I’m not discouraged.  I want to still stay active and I think that is very important.

Also keep your mind stimulated.  I do love to read.  I still seek more time to read because I am active in organizations and other things, but a real joy to me is to be informed.  I think it is important for a person of any age to know what is going on in the world.   It’s important to keep an active mind.  It is also important in your life to feel that you are doing something beyond yourself.  In place of just things you like to do, reach out to the world around you where there are needs.  I think that’s very important.  Now that I’m a retired teacher I have time to do more of that, especially through my church.

Take good care of yourself, eating healthy, having a healthy life style.  Friendships are extremely important. – To have close friends, but at the same time reaching out, knowing you can still make friends.  Remain active in life.   Seek new ideas.  Know other people and their lifestyles through friendships.

Lynne Adams is an active volunteer with First Book among other activities.

Bonnie Fatio

A Look At Age

There are so many ways to look at old age,
Lucky is the one who can still turn the page
And start a new day with a warmhearted smile
Meeting each challenge with fortitude and style.
Every new hardship (and there are reams!)
Can be conquered when you show Age Esteem.

Written by Alexandra Taylor after the chapter “Adding Pizzazz To Age” in the book
AgeEsteem: Growing A Positive Attitude Toward Aging
by Bonnie Lou Fatio

A friend forwarded this beautiful, moving letter about life in Japan following the devastating natural disasters.  I have since discovered that it was written by Anne Thomas and published in ODE.  It is dated 14 March 2011

“Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very  blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is  even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend’s home. We share  supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one  room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes.  People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line  up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water  running in their home, they put out a sign so people can come to fill up their  jugs and buckets. It’s utterly amazingly that where I am there has been no looting, no  pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, “Oh, this is how it used to  be in the old days when everyone helped one another.” Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes.  Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is  for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on.  But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No  one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition,  of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the  entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in  some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the  sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out  walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night.  No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered  with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled.  The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see  them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my  shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity  is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea  from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking  to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they  need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic,  no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes,  for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls,  shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a  bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is  better off than others. Last night my friend’s husband came in from the  country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is  indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the  world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events  happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me  if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don’t. Rather, I  feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave  of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me.”

Many of you have contributed towards helping the people of Japan following the earthquakes and tsunami.  I thought this would be meaningful to you as a reflection on life and age esteem.

Bonnie Fatio

Bonnie Fatio and Kristin Engvig during Win Conference drumming

Imagine 700 women coordinating their drumming beats for harmonious rhythm and you have an idea of the power of women of all ages working together towards one common goal.  – Moving to the same beat.

This was an exercise in the closing ceremony of the 2010 WIN Conference in Paris, where I was honored to speak.  Sewa Beats brought in 700 African drums and coordinated the movement and sounds, unifying us in a unique and powerful experience.  Each of us contributed to the amazing sound.  Age, physical appearance, mobility, intelligence, previous musical experience, profession and ethnic background were not factors in our success.  It was the movement of working together to the same beat!  And we did it with laughter and energy!

Drumming provided a wonderful example of intergenerational collaboration, and an exercise in age esteem.  There are times when we bring unique talents, experience and point of view to a new activity and group of people because of our age.  We bring our uniqueness to complement the uniqueness of others.  There are other moments, such as the drumming, when the intergenerational aspect is one of  blending and equalizing.  We each bring our unique gifts and experience but it is used to make a common sound and to move to the same beat for the desired result.  Age esteem helps us have confidence to know when to complement and when to blend.

Bonnie Fatio

Live Each Minute!

Every single minute counts

As the years begin to mount,

Live each day as if the last,

Profit now until it’s past.

Written by Alexandra Taylor after the chapter “Say It Now” in the book
AgeEsteem: Growing A Positive Attitude Toward Aging
by Bonnie Lou Fatio