A real moment thanks to Decide,Create, Share
This past week has been one where the subject of caregiving or caretaking has figured prominently. I didn’t start off thinking about this. My yoga teacher invited me to volunteer at Mary’s Place by the Sea. This is a place for women either recovering from and/or enduring cancer. Guests can receive healing treatments, spend time alone, take meals, sleep over, get advice and enjoy a healing atmosphere.
It is also always a place where I take my best self. My ego remains in the shadows. “Does my hair look good” or “Is my butt too big” just does not factor into what is important when I am at Mary’s Place. All around me there are people engaged in caring for and supporting each other. The lucky ones have family to “be” with them on this journey. And for the others, there is Mary’s Place by the Sea.
What do we need to do
I know what I need to do in my own life as it relates to aging….sort of. But taking action is like everything I am supposed to do. It consists of a mental list that looks like my messy kitchen drawer. I catch a tweet that AARP’s Decide Create Share campaign is hosting a webinair addressing the question of whether I am ready for my future. It will launch in the next few hours so I register to attend.
Decide, Create Share’s purpose
The campaign’s purpose is to help women in their 40s, 50s and 60s stay healthy so that they can have a secure tomorrow. The campaign’s title says it all about how one goes about achieving this:
- Decide what kind of future you envision for yourself.
- Create a plan that will help you achieve those goals.
- Share that plan with the important people in your life.
The webinair helps me take action. So this morning I started this conversation with my only man/child. It was an informal recognition between us that this is a conversation we need to have. It is time, like Kanye West says, “to suffer from realness” and to have this conversation. I will be journaling this process, sharing my difficulty in keeping it real and hoping that it will help you.
Please let me know what questions you have at www.boomerwizdom explores this realness. Maybe it will be easier not going it alone.
Decide Create Share says
Patricia, we’re so glad you heard about our Webinar and tuned in. Many women have described that “messy kitchen drawer” to us – you’re not alone! We hope you find our information and resources useful as you take steps to plan your secure future. Thank you for sharing your journey with other women–it’s so imporant that women understand why it’s an issue that directly affects them. We look forward to reading more!