My career began in technology startups. I still do that in Boston today, but I also work part-time for an assisted living community, home to 100+ elderly people. Suffice it to say, I've seen a lot, heard a lot, witnessed a lot, tried a lot and learned a lot. I started LUJP to offer creative advice and thought-provoking ideas to help you get inspired and feel more deeply connected to elderly in your life.
My heart grows 4x when I'm around elderly people. Ever since I was a young child, I've felt connected to older generations. I didn't even know my attitude, energies and perceptions were different from others until people began to point it out.
When I was 13, for example, I would visit Nancy. Nancy was a retired high school librarian with a deep love of literature and a set of eyes that had gone blind in her old age. I went to her home every Thursday afternoon. I would sit in her dimly lit living room for 1 hour reading The Winthrop Woman... while my peers played video games or met each other at the mall. And it gave me such joy. Plus, I just went to the mall on other days ;)
Stories go as far back as when I was a toddler in the grocery store, giving extra love and attention to shoppers 80+ years old (you can ask my mom for details).
I feel the "normal" or "average" things about elderly people, too. I sometimes feel sad about their age, understanding they don't have much time left. I sometimes feel awkwardness, not knowing exactly what to say in a single moment. I sometimes feel guilty about not reaching out enough, or not being there enough. I sometimes feel regret for not taking advantage of the time I had with elderly loved ones who have since passed away. I feel all the things.
But above everything else, I feel elder care and compassion is something that's not discussed enough in our society. Other cultures cherish elders, see them as beacons of wisdom and deeply engage with them on a daily basis. Our culture is not there yet. But the conversation can start here.
I'm here to help you.
Please connect with me any time you have a thought, idea, curiosity or question. I love it!
Enjoy
xx C
