As a certified professional coach and teacher whose focus is childhood, parenthood and elderhood, I can't help but note the similarities of these demographies. With that in mind, on a visit to the nursing home where my mother resides, I was moved to bring your a children's picture book. I'm sure my friend, who gave me the book as a gift, had no idea how profound a gift this would be.
As a certified professional coach and teacher whose focus is childhood, parenthood and elderhood, I can't help but note the similarities of these demographies. With that in mind, on a visit to the nursing home where my mother resides, I was moved to bring your a children's picture book. I'm sure my friend, who gave me the book as a gift, had no idea how profound a gift this would be.
Initially I had intended to roam from room to room, tucking in some of the residents and offering a bedtime story. Instead, I greeted a group of my "friends" in the hallway, some engaged in remnants of conversation, others gazing around, minds in places I don't even dare guess. Some faces were smiling, some frowning, some simply staring at whatever attention catching object they spied. After the initial niceties, I asked if anyone would mind if I read a story, to which I received affirmative consensus.
Having taught in an early education classroom for 15 years, reading story books to groups was a familiar scenario. What wasn't as familiar was the utter, complete and rapt engagement that took place. Eyes sparkled, voices chuckled, smiles grew, comments abounded. There was agreement that indeed, "you are the one and only ever you".
This was so thrilling to me, I returned the next evening with several story books, which were passed to the residents after I'd read four aloud. People mouthed the words to themselves or read aloud, traced the illustrations with their fingers and shared pictures or words in the book to one another.
My mind raced with possibilities as I took this all in. Since then Ageless-Sages.com was conceived and Picture Books for Elders is a new literary genre that is becoming a mainstream demand.
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