Engaging in Aging

Happy hugs with my grandson Jacob. So nice to have him and his lovely Dad home with us on Canada Day. Just can't get enough of these precious moments! What a sweetie!

Thank you all for your birthday wishes. I had the best possible gift to celebrate yesterday from my follow up CTscan on Monday. The results from chemo and radiation showed a dramatic decrease in the size of my lung tumor and nothing at all appearing of concern that is new. It was all worth it and I am so eternally grateful to my family and many friends who have been walking by my side. Prayers heal that is for sure. Keep them coming! I was spoiled rotten with so much love and flowers and good wishes on this eventful start to my 73rd year. I am very blessed.💖💖

Dave and I are just returning from another wonderful getaway at the WaterMark Beach Resort in Osoyoos. So relaxing and healing with sis Jeanie and hubby Steph joining us for a night as well. Reading all of your supporting comments and prayers has warmed my heart. Sending love back to each of you!

Dave and I are taking great joy of once again having a little vegetable garden to take care of and watch it grow. In the middle of my treatment we amazingly got a call from being on the waiting list for 3 years to get a plot in the Community Garden just across the alley from where we not live. What perfect timing. It is healing and nurturing to go there every day and play in the earth. It's the simple things in life that mean so much right now.

My life has changed. I have facilitated many workshops on "Finding Peace in Uncertainty" over the past couple of years as we all have traversed COVID. And now I am truly practicing what I preach with the very sudden diagnosis on November 8th of 2023 that I have stage three lung cancer. Almost seven months have passed and it has been a rollercoaster of unknowns, moving through fear, anger and sadness as tests and more tests were done, then two months of chemo and radiation and a hospitalization for pneumonia. It has challenged me to the core of everything I believe in and how I must allow myself to come first and receive care and nurturing from so many people that have surrounded me with love and prayers. Since the end of my treatment on April 5 and my discharge from KGH, I have grown stronger every day by letting go and letting in. Sharing my journey has always been present with me as I traversed these many unexpected changes in my life. And so today I begin my new beginning by sharing this with you. There is strength in vulnerability and every morning I begin my day trusting that this is a truth that will shape my life moving forward.

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS RESEARCH PROJECT VIA UBCO
Researchers from UBC Okanagan are interested in learning more about the social networks of adults 50 years and older who struggle, at times, with their mental well-being. We hope to gain insight into the social connections that make up the social networks to help us better understand how to improve the quality of these relationships and, hopefully, enhance people’s well-being.
Study Title: Social networks of adults 50 years and older with mental health concerns in BC
Criteria:
- Are you 50 years of age or older?
- Do you frequently feel down or blue, unmotivated? Worried or anxious? Or do you have concerns about your use of alcohol or drugs?
- Do you live in BC? We are looking for people who live in rural/remote AND urban/semi-urban communities within BC.
If you answered yes to these questions, you are eligible to participate. Please note, you do not need to have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder to participate.
Survey participants will have the opportunity to enter a draw for a chance to win one of five prizes!
Most people are able to complete the survey in about 1.5 hours. The exact time will depend upon how many people are in your social network.
To participate, please click on the following link: https://bit.ly/SocialNetworks2023
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact: Harsh*ta Gupta ([email protected])

Life requires change to maximize our experience of joy and happiness in it. Do we like change? Do we find it easy to let go of habits that no longer serve us? Well, not always. It is not easy to be committed to taking response ability for what we are creating. The journey of COVID has brought our personalities into mega awareness and we can either go into denial or we can have the realization that creating the life you want NOW requires letting go of the past to envision a better future. Come join me on June 24 for a one day workshop to learn and share with others and move forward with boldness. Call me at 250-863-9577 or email [email protected] to register.

I have had a time of reflection over 2022 that started last December considering my own well-being on this aging life journey. When one of my beloved sisters entered some very serious health concerns, it brought forward very personally the impermanence of life as we grow older. With that, I let go of doing the Engaging in Aging Radio Show and subsequently writing my bi-weekly column for the Capital News. I do miss doing both of these things terribly, but I knew some things had to be let go of. I have to say that surrendering is still one of my biggest challenges, as I seem to feel the need for speed, as Tom would say. As I move deeper into my seventy-first year, I do notice the little signs that keep saying, "Stop and smell the roses!" and so I am listening and making adjustments in my life. I am so very passionate about bringing innovation to eldercare and working with other aspiring like-minded souls to find a path to Elderhood that is fulfilling and keeps me healthy, engaged and happy. I am working on some new endeavors for 2023 that I am excited about that include a podcast and various programs I will begin introducing in January to join with you in drafting a Vision to BE in 2023. Along with taking one week off per month to rest and relax and create, my vision for life in the new year is taking shape. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming transformational awareness possibilities to help YOU and ME keep Engaging in Aging that fosters WellBEing for Life!

My poem for all you wonderful mothers out there.....
A Mother's love is ever pure,
steadfast, heartfelt, always sure,
No mistake will tarnish
its golden shield,
No harsh word spoken
will make it yield.
Today I want you each to know,
tulips will always and forever grow,
With every kind word
that you are giving,
Your own heart is blossoming
from the life you are living.

A new beginning starts every morning as we first open our eyes upon waking. Is your mind filled with anxiety and worry about the past or the future or is your mind open with a fresh, positive outlook at what the day will bring? I am sure you have all heard of the phrase “what you focus on expands”. This is a very powerful few words that can determine what you are creating on your aging life journey and whether you are choosing to live with optimism or pessimism. I am not going to say this is easy, but it is necessary if you want to live your best life, no matter what your age. There are many new transitions that present themselves as we age that we may not have much experience with. This is really a new frontier in many ways as we can begin to encounter health challenges, grieving the loss of people we love and jobs that gave us a sense of purpose and meaning. We may have fewer seeming opportunities to step outside our comfort zones and try new things. But really, every day is about our choices and practicing new ways to experience well-being in our lives.
We can each choose to embrace change and new beginnings every day right when those eyes open in the morning by bringing forth a strong intention to do just that. To gently push fear and worry to the side and open our mind like a door that leads us on a pathway of being in the moment, focusing on faith, hope and courage. It means choosing acceptance that life is impermenent and it is up to us each individually to decide whether to resiliently focus on the cup half full or the cup half empty, no matter what challenge we may be facing. We all have things going on in our lives that can be very stressful. I too have many unexpected events happening that are presenting the pain of loss and transition, but it is this steadfast practice that I speak of that is helping me to be present with all of the feelings of it. I can open a space within myself to trust that I and my family have the strength to traverse it and lean on the knowingness we are not alone, no matter how hard life can be sometimes. Sharing grief, sharing uncertainty is really when the energy begins to flow rather than be buried inside us to fester like stagnant water. By this act alone, fear moves and is released to allow clarity to enter. Then action follows, step by step, to take us through the life experience that seems challenging and with patience and trust get to the other side where the sun once again begins to shine.
Well-Being Practices for Life include the use of bringing conscious awareness to your breath. Learning to transform your method of breathing is powerful and is a beginning practice I teach in my support of people I work with who are facing transition or just desiring to bring more joy and ease into their lives. We all need a toolbox we can go to that helps us let go of worry and anxiety and maintain greater balance and harmony. I believe that living well takes discipline, perseverance, focus and courage. That is what practice is all about. I personally don’t think it ends as we enter our sixties, seventies or eighties. Rather, it urges us more deeply and wisely to embrace our spiritual selves and the need to surrender control, rather than hold on more tightly.
As 2022 has been unfolding, like myself you too may be entering a shifting of priorities in your own life. Adapting to what seems to be our “new world” amid the pandemic is adjusting to what is but with a renewed desire to clear out the old and let in the glow of new horizons into our lives. To support you in this, I am doing a one-day workshop called Responding to Change with a Wise Heart on May 14. Connect with me for more information. An old Chinese proverb says, “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, others build windmills”. This is the alchemy of gold that is always available to us as we join together on the path to Elderhood.
Marjorie Horne is a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging and Well-Being for Life Coach.
Contact her at 250-863-9577 or [email protected] or via the Engaging in Aging page.

Please Note: The Okanagan Chateau workshop scheduled for May 5, 2022 has been postponed. We will update this page when a new date has been chosen.

Marjorie Horne is offering a 6 week Transformative Awareness Program starting March 5, 2022. For more information or to register, email [email protected]

I hope that everyone has had a few quiet moments over the holidays to pause and reflect on the past year. What a year of change it has been for me individually and as part of the global community. And as we enter this year of 2022, we continue to be faced with uncertainty as the new Omicron variant begins to surge. Running my business, CareSmart Seniors Consulting, has been very challenging over the pandemic and now faces renewed challenges as regulations once again are required to keep my clients and staff safe and well. Because of this, I have decided to let go of my radio show format of Engaging in Aging, that has been airing on AM1150 for the past 5 years. Being stretched too thin and learning to take care of yourself are topics that have been often covered on the show and I know I must heed that advice myself right now. I thank of all of my faithful listeners who have sent me their thanks and topics for discussion. i also extend my immense appreciation to AM1150 and Ken Kilcullen for giving an inexperienced newbie the chance to show my stuff and learn from his expertise. Phil Johnson also for guiding and supporting me with his knowledge. My producers that came on and with patience and commitment got the show on every week, my gratitude to you Gurinder and Amber for all of the wonderful moments we shared. After a bit of a rest, I will be posting a podcast called Engaging in Aging On Tap here on this page and on other outlets as well. I will continue to offer webinars and courses on Transformative Awareness with the intention of continuing to support those who wish to join in Aging Consciously in the third chapter of life. My tagline for the radio show was Re-imagining Later Life and that is what I intend to keep doing as I now enter the decade of my seventies. That is hard to believe, but it is so, and requires a bit of recognizing that a little more down time is necessary to maintain my own well-being. I hope that you too are setting new goals and re-imaginings for yourself for 2022. Let's keep doing it together. Happy New Year!

Engaging In Aging 12 - 19 - 2021 PEPP TALK 3 The third show of the PEPP TALK series was aired on December 19 with my guest Jean Bryans to discuss Developing Body-Mind Coherence As We Age. Lots of tips and tools given and reference to the work of

ENGAGING IN AGING SHOW - A Daughter’s Caregiving Journey To The Edge Of Life Enjoy this REPLAY of my interview with Janet Dunnett, the author of a wonderful book called The Dwindling: A Daughter’s Caregiving Journey to the Edge of Life. Janet shares her family's season of bein

ENGAGING IN AGING - 10 - 24 - 2021 - Finding Your Own Pot Of Gold Listen to this Redux of Sunday's Engaging in Aging Radio Show on Letting Go and Letting In with my guest Steve Gardner. Eloquent sharing of Steve's wisdom around transitioning stage in his life. You t

10 - 17 - 21 Engaging In Aging - PEPP TALK SERIES - Show 2 Have a listen to the Redux here of show number two of our PEPP TALK series airing on Engaging in Aging over the next several months. Personal Exploration and Proactive Preparation will be a dialogue b

10 - 03 - 21 Engaging In Aging - Creating A Community Culture Of Purposeful Engagement Creating purposeful engagement in life, no matter what your age, is important to your health and well-being. Join me with guest Jenelle Hynes, the Community Relations Manager at the brand new seniors

09 - 26 - 21 Engaging In Aging Show - Heart To Heart Connections What fills you up. What really means the most to you? Are you able to make the conscious decision to be focused in the moment to make true connections with the people you love the most? Have a listen

09 - 05 - 21 Engaging In Aging - PEPP TALKS SERIES Enjoy this replay of the first of a six show series called PEPP TALKS on the Engaging in Aging Radio Show over the next several months. My partnering guest, Jean Bryans, who is one of my three sisters

08 - 01 - 21 Engaging In Aging - PEPP TALK Needing some new ideas around embracing your aging life journey? Our PEPP TALK Series will be airing every 6 weeks when my sister, Jean Bryans and myself, Marjorie Horne will be talking about our own

07 - 18 - 21 Engaging In Aging - Creating A New Beginning In Senior Retirement Living EThe Engaging in Aging Radio Show theme this past Sunday explored "Creating a New Beginning in Senior Retirement Living" with guests Jenna Hodak, Executive Director and Jenelle Hynes, Community Relati

06 - 06 - 21 Engaging In Aging - DO YOUR PRESENT WELL "Do not worry about your future. Do your present well, and the future will blossom". Quote from Sadhguru . Our topic was this for my discussion with Cindy Bertrand-Larson on today's Engaging in Aging

05 - 29 - 21 Engaging In Aging - Wellness In The Workplace With the gradual return to workplace environments, it is time to consider how we can support each other in our mutual well-being. Have a listen to this redux of Wellness in the Workplace with my guest

ENGAGING IN AGING - 2021 - 05 - 23 PEP TALK Enjoy the redux of this regular entry into the Engaging in Aging Radio Show offerings to discuss Pro-active Transitioning, Engagement Activities and Passion and Pleasure on the aging life journey. My

05 - 09 - 21 ENGAGING IN AGING - Celebrating The Gifts And Challenges Of Relationships With Our Moms Our stories with our Moms comes in all shapes and sizes. Seeing both the gifts and the challenges within our relationships that are part of our own growth is what I discussed with my guest, Naomi Miso

04 - 25 - 21 ENGAGING IN AGING - The Walk Of Alzheimer's The annual IG Wealth Management Walk For Alzheimer's will be happening virtually over the month of May here in Kelowna. Brenda Josephs, this year's committee chair for the event and Guy Bird, joined m

ENGAGING IN AGING - Letting Go and Letting In - Discovering Your Own Pot of Gold Join me and my guest Steve Gardner for a Redux of Sunday's Engaging in Aging Show on "Letting Go and Letting In - Discovering Your Own Pot of Gold".