Visiting elders..why it matters-because we are all on this circle

The grace of old hands-how much they have done over the years

Opie and I visited our elder friends at Wiscasset Green this morning. We have been visiting now for two years and have grown to think of them as friends, and even family. We've lost a few people too and it is not easy-you will not be told in advance of a death or a departure for privacy reasons, and it is hard. But it is part of doing this. I have to say it is hard on me.

But, I will continue on because I love them, I love our gatherings...and I care about them. I was thinking recently why these visits are so important-to them, but also me, and Martyn when he comes like he did today.

I think of life as a continuum, a circle. We are born, and cared for by young adults. We in turn become young adults and those parents move to the right on the circle, and grow old. When those elders die, they have passed on their traits and hearts to those on the left on that circle. Circles never end. Circles are prominent in all aspects of Nature-the moon, the earth, the sun... The time and energy we give to our babies and children is later found and felt in elder people who also had time and energy given to them by parents.

By visiting the elders, I am honoring the power that the moon has on the tides. It's really no different. You get, and you give. And you don't stop. You just are, like the moon.

Opie was particularly intent on going to one of the residents today. I have seen Pino gravitate to a person in a group and then I find out later that person was hurting from a trauma or loss. We all chuckled that Opie was intent on this resident, and I casually said that Opie must know she is sad, or grumpy, or hurt...and she told me with teary eyes her 70 year old son had died recently and she was hurt.

She looked at Opie and said, "He can feel my hurt hurts."

Opie is on the circle too.

Opie was gravitation to one elder today...and he knew why before I did