the term ‘elder’, when applied to you, may bring up some reactions in your heartmind…who am i to be an elder? what wisdom do i have? who would look up to me? i don’t hold the stories of my supposed tribe!
in many indigenous cultures elders are expected to use their wisdom, gathered from long experience, in ways that will guide and benefit their communities. they become the community’s leaders. this transition often happens at age 50 (!). the elders take on this mantle and therefore participate fully in the life of their community rather than simply becoming invisible and waiting to die.
very few of us live in this tribal way, though our family, whether of blood or choice, could be seen as a tribe. and most of us at 50 are still working and in the ‘adult’ phase of life. we move into elderhood much later these days.the question, for us, remains, what differentiates an ‘elder’ from an ‘older’ in our society? to my mind the answer is multi-dimensional. as we step into this world we become is willing to ‘assume the mantle’ of an elder. this indicates a change in consciousness. it is an internal step over a threshold of the heart. it is a recognition of our unique experience and its value to those around us.it is also a recognition that the work of the adult phase has, for the most part, ended and the work of the elder phase begun. though we may still be in the world of livelihood, our vision of that world is changed along with our relationship to it.this change of consciousness doesn’t happen automatically with the accumulation of years. it is the result of inner transformation that comes from looking deeply at that which needs healing, re-framing, nurturing, forgiving, and preparing. it is about the harvest and celebration of our authenticity, of who we truly are. while not every older may be an elder right now, it is my belief that all olders have the potential within to become elders.this change in consciousness asks us to be honest, to be courageous and to be open. in this process we willingly, and with great kindness, look at our mortality…not an easy step. this inner inquiry, however, allows us to laugh, to find joy and to live each day to the full. we can live our values with more zest.we can live life at its juicy best!