Do you like how old you are now or do you wish you were older or younger?
I wish I were younger because I could go to youth group at my church. Those were the best years of my life. Do you like how old you are now or do you wish you were older or younger?
Well Jen, I certainly don't wish that I was older. I wouldn't mind being younger. I think the best age is 30 to 50. So you should be just coming into the best years of your life. However, my current age is pretty good too. I can still do all the things I did when I was younger and have the freedom to enjoy them. Dad
I agree with your Dad. There is an old expression 'Youth is wasted on the young'. And I think its true. When we are young we think we will live forever and that we have so much time. As we get older, time seems to move faster and we value each moment more.
I hear what you said about the Youth Group richness of friends. Love overflows when we are in community, even more so when it is an intentional community.
I am so very fortunate to have an intentional community called Callanish. Callanish is itself a name of a circle of huge rocks that is over 5000 years old. (Similar to the famous Stonehenge but older). Talking about old friends! In our people circle of Callanish there are 12 of us core members. We meet every season (for over 20 years!) for a week, a week retreat tucked away on 12 acres just north of Squamish. We are in the forest which in in the mountains. Each season is exceptional in its beauty. Each retreat we invite 8 people who are living with cancer to join us in exploring our Hearts. The hurts, the suffering, the anger, the loneliness, the losses, the grief…. And together as a community which includes music, poetry, art, massage, counselling, phenomenal food (five of the team members are in the kitchen!), small group conversations, meandering the trail, resting, napping, sitting by the fire. The end of the day, after dinner, the whole community gathers in a circle, 20 of us. Everyone is invited to share, if they feel moved to do so, to share something from their day. It might be something painful, or sad, or an insight , or a new understanding, something that is being untangled, something joyful or gentle, maybe a high lite or a low lite of the day….Whatever inspires each of us in that moment as we sit in circle. It is not intended as a “conversation,” but more of a sharing, sharing something that rests inside us that wants or needs to be expressed outside of ourselves. The job of the other 19 people is simple, just listen. Listen with caring for the person speaking, caring about what the person sharing with their words. Sometimes with their tears. Sometimes with confusion. We are there to care for whatever shows up for the person sharing in that moment. We might not always know or understand the context of which they speak, but we can still listen with caring and love for the person. It is a very powerful medicine, and I mention it because as we continue to naturally age I notice that in my Heart I am getting younger, wiser, and more freedom of who I am in my essence. It is hard in our world today to find a safe place to speak of our personal sufferings in our Heart without feeling we might be judged or misunderstood, or misinterpreted. I am thinking in your Youth Group, as Callanish is for me, a safe place for me to rediscover myself as I grow older thru this complicated journey we call Life.
A long way to say I love getting older because I feel I am getting younger!
Wow Tess, your messages are so inspiring. They deserve a wider audience! I read about the circle of Callanish online. I didn't know they existed. We'd love to hear more about them when you come out. I love your statement "as we continue to naturally age I notice that in my Heart I am getting younger, wiser, and more freedom of who I am in my essence". It's so true, but I think young people are blind to it as were we. Geoff
Well Jen, I certainly don't wish that I was older. I wouldn't mind being younger. I think the best age is 30 to 50. So you should be just coming into the best years of your life. However, my current age is pretty good too. I can still do all the things I did when I was younger and have the freedom to enjoy them. Dad
ReplyDeleteI agree with your Dad. There is an old expression 'Youth is wasted on the young'. And I think its true. When we are young we think we will live forever and that we have so much time. As we get older, time seems to move faster and we value each moment more.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Jen,
ReplyDeleteI hear what you said about the Youth Group richness of friends. Love overflows when we are in community, even more so when it is an intentional community.
I am so very fortunate to have an intentional community called Callanish. Callanish is itself a name of a circle of huge rocks that is over 5000 years old. (Similar to the famous Stonehenge but older). Talking about old friends!
In our people circle of Callanish there are 12 of us core members. We meet every season (for over 20 years!) for a week, a week retreat tucked away on 12 acres just north of Squamish. We are in the forest which in in the mountains. Each season is exceptional in its beauty. Each retreat we invite 8 people who are living with cancer to join us in exploring our Hearts. The hurts, the suffering, the anger, the loneliness, the losses, the grief…. And together as a community which includes music, poetry, art, massage, counselling, phenomenal food (five of the team members are in the kitchen!), small group conversations, meandering the trail, resting, napping, sitting by the fire. The end of the day, after dinner, the whole community gathers in a circle, 20 of us. Everyone is invited to share, if they feel moved to do so, to share something from their day. It might be something painful, or sad, or an insight , or a new understanding, something that is being untangled, something joyful or gentle, maybe a high lite or a low lite of the day….Whatever inspires each of us in that moment as we sit in circle. It is not intended as a “conversation,” but more of a sharing, sharing something that rests inside us that wants or needs to be expressed outside of ourselves. The job of the other 19 people is simple, just listen. Listen with caring for the person speaking, caring about what the person sharing with their words. Sometimes with their tears. Sometimes with confusion. We are there to care for whatever shows up for the person sharing in that moment. We might not always know or understand the context of which they speak, but we can still listen with caring and love for the person.
It is a very powerful medicine, and I mention it because as we continue to naturally age I notice that in my Heart I am getting younger, wiser, and more freedom of who I am in my essence.
It is hard in our world today to find a safe place to speak of our personal sufferings in our Heart without feeling we might be judged or misunderstood, or misinterpreted. I am thinking in your Youth Group, as Callanish is for me, a safe place for me to rediscover myself as I grow older thru this complicated journey we call Life.
A long way to say I love getting older because I feel I am getting younger!
Love Cousin Tess
Wow Tess, your messages are so inspiring. They deserve a wider audience! I read about the circle of Callanish online. I didn't know they existed. We'd love to hear more about them when you come out. I love your statement "as we continue to naturally age I notice that in my Heart I am getting younger, wiser, and more freedom of who I am in my essence". It's so true, but I think young people are blind to it as were we. Geoff
ReplyDelete