Life is a winding road of experiences and journeys that feed the soul, teach skills and lessons, and weaves through the stages of change as we age. There is no age at which it becomes impossible to fulfill a dream or to do something that feeds our soul. One example of this is Esther, who at 83 years old started painting. Her much younger sister, Janey, was visiting and she wanted to attend a Paint & Sip event at the local wine bar. Esther protested that she was too old to paint and encouraged Janey to go by herself. Janey wasn’t having it though because she knew her sister had a talent that she had never pursued. Esther relented and went with her. They sat down and ordered a glass of wine and perused the various painting tools.
The moment Esther touched the paintbrush she was filled with excitement. She had never told her sister that she took an art class in college and she loved it. She had considered living the artist lifestyle, free and traveling, expressing creative interests throughout the world. Like many others who have dreams of a non-traditional life path, she suppressed the dream when she met Henry. She knew the moment they met that he would be her husband and she was so in love and happy with him. They created a life where Henry worked hard for his family and she raised the children. She kept her home cared for and worked hard to make sure that needs of her family were met.
When the children moved out and Henry was still working she had taken a couple of art classes and really enjoyed them. She was discussing with Henry that she would like to convert a room in the home to a studio when their lives were interrupted by a cognitive diagnosis for Henry. Esther immediately jumped in to care for him. When he passed, she felt lost and unsure of what her life would look like. She had always been the caregiver, mother, and wife. Now her children did not need care and her husband was gone.
She had been staying home except for the occasional errand to the grocery store or to take the pups to the vet. Otherwise, she wasn’t sure where to start her life again.
That Paint & Sip class opened her eyes to a chance to have a studio in the house and to work on her love for painting. She purchased the supplies and started working on projects. She loves early morning skies and late evening sunsets as painting projects. She would also sit outside and paint a portrait of the neighbor’s horses and even painted a portrait of her pups. When she was talking with the host of the Paint & Sips she learned that they needed a volunteer to help with the children’s class. Esther signed up and loved fostering the creativity of the children as they learned about colors and weights of paints and how they would meet and interact with the canvas. Esther knew that developing her creativity would stimulate her brain and she was excited to paint everything, imagining a painting whenever she saw a beautiful color combination or some plants and birds that sparked the creativity.
She felt alive and youthful and looked forward to every opportunity available to pick up a paint brush. Do you have a dream, hobby, or artistic endeavor that you have pushed aside? You are never too old to try something new or to explore an old skill that you miss. If you need help pursuing your dream and are struggling due to aging concerns, please reach out by phone at 877-337-0922 or email us at cassandra@infinitycaremanagers.com”, and we’ll be happy to assist!
Recent Comments