I’m just home from a whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C. with my family. I am feeling patriotic, enamored of our founding fathers, and despite the tragic events of the week in Boston and West, TX – full of faith in humanity.
It has taken me twenty years to get to the Holocaust Museum, where I knew since it’s founding in 1993, exist archived photographs given in memory of my great grandmother who lost her life in the Auschwitz concentration camps. I did feel prepared for the difficult emotions that surfaced as we walked ourselves through this horrible history. Yet my heart surged with incredible tales – many heroic acts of love which saved lives. The tears that surprised me though, came up as I was helped by three staff members in the victims & survivors department, photo archives, and research library. Not only were these people kind and helpful, they were themselves moved to hear the story of my young grandmother coming to this country alone; and meeting me, one of her grandchildren. I was full of the awareness that I am one of many living examples of proof that Hitler DID NOT SUCCEED. I am here. Through my veins flow blood of many origins, and I preach love, compassion, tolerance, and I believe our world is picking up momentum in that direction with every passing decade. I also was able to learn my grandmother’s death date. She only spent one day in that camp, dying in the gas chambers on the day of her arrival. I felt relief that she spent no long months in that awful place as I had always imagined. I felt peace in the conclusion of knowing a date. And her age, just weeks before what would have been her 52nd birthday. So very young – not too far removed from my age now.
I feel a renewed sense of stewardship for this Life I’ve been given and for the body which carries it.
I have always known that I desire to live to be a very old woman. I want to be one who is agile, dancing hiking traveling to favorite places all over the planet. I wish to be surrounded by friends children grandchildren and extended family. I see myself laughing, reading, learning & teaching, sharing my heart and my abundance. I see myself a vibrant one, healthy & beautiful.
I want to inspire thousands of others to join me in a shared vision of health & vibrancy for themselves. I have some pretty good ideas about living this way now. Shifting patterns and behaviors and living fully present – enjoying this moment to pave the way for a lifetime of moments to come. Smiling more and worrying less. Choosing my destiny over expecting the same fate as my foremothers. This is the topic of this month’s Vibrant One call: Redefining Old Age. Will you share 30 minutes with me this Thursday? Will you begin to envision and create your wise, happy old self?
How do you see your wise old self? Please share a snapshot in the comments below.
Let’s do this. For our grandmothers. For our grand-daughters. For humanity.
