During a recent trip to the east coast, a group of elders and I gathered at a Methodist Church in Friendship Heights, near Washington D.C. to converse about happiness, health and better ways to live a meaningful life.

Kathy: This conversation is about sharing and listening to our feelings, ideas and actions for our better life. A sort of "WEL Wellness Support Group." As you know, many better ways can begin today, at this very moment. I would like to start our conversation focusing on personal happiness. Who goes first?

Gertrude: Happiness is a state of mind.

Lucille: Happiness for me is New York, when I moved out of New York I left my heart and all my happiness there.

Norman: Lucille, you can close your eyes and remember all the wonderful things you lived and had in NY... when you remember you live again. For me happiness is what I make of a moment in life. I choose to be happy no matter where I am.

Rosa: I agree with Gertrude and Norman, happiness is a state of mind. We as elders sometimes cannot do all the things we used to but we can be happy if we look beyond those things we no longer can do. Because, there are many other things that we can do now.

Kathy: Great Rosa! What do you mean by looking beyond those things?

Rosa: Life is an adventure; we never know what is going to happen next. The longer we live, the more we learn. There is no need to focus on the past. Let's focus on "what can be done today? or Tomorrow?" However, tomorrow is today!

Norman: I am in a wheelchair and I love to dance. I remember how beautiful it was to dance with my wife. She was my happiness too. She was always smiling no matter what. Today a smile means a lot to me. Not only because it makes me feel good, but also because I value that someone is happy and want to share that with me. If I choose to say Hi and also smile, it is almost automatically, I also feel happy.

Ruth: I think we feel happy when we acknowledge other people and things around us. It does change our focus.

Kathy: What do you mean by that Ruth?

Ruth: For example Lucille, she is not longer in New York, she misses the people and places and other things that made her happy. She thinks about NY constantly and her mind is not focused on her life now here with us. We are also people, we can be her friends. We have also traveled and we can talk about many interesting things with her. Life is an opportunity, you take it or waste it.

Rosa: Being among friends and happy people make us happy.

Kathy: What else makes you happy?

Gertrude: Ah! There is something very important that make everyone feels good and be happy and that is HUMOR. It is very hard to be next to someone with good sense of humor and be sad. For some people no matter what is going on around them, they seem to find a way to feel good and enjoy life... you know, sometimes it is about the simple things.

Kathy: What other simple things can make us happy?

Lucille: Refreshments and chocolate.

Norman: For me education because it help us to find ourselves.

Ruth: For me my family or a hug. Or being in here with all of you.

Gertrude: For me a walk in the garden or a good book.

Rosa: For me, Santa Clause makes me very happy.

Lucille: How silly. You are an old lady Rosa; don’t tell me that you still believe in Santa Clause, ha!

Rosa: Oh Yes, I do. It is wonderful to know that there is someone out there that can do something to help you, unexpectedly, and will not ask for anything else in return. I do believe in Santa Clause and I do believe in people doing good.

… The group applauded Rosa and Norman said, “I want to sit next to you Rosa, do you mind?”

Kathy: How many of you believe in Santa Clause? By show of hands everyone except one person.

Norman: The most amazing thing about this metaphor is that all of us can be Santa Clause at any moment if we choose to do so. This is not about religion; this is about being a kind human being. It is selfless service – decency.

Kathy: I am with you Norman. It is about co-creating a better reality, a better life, a better world. Not only with good intentions but with good actions. Sort of ACTIVATING THE WORD PEACE. Beautiful actions based on the language of the heart. We all can do that in spite of our disabilities, limitations, etc.

Raymond: To know that we are here in this world and that we can make a difference in our own life and other people’s life is an invitation for a better life. It is true that parts of our body may not work in the same way as they used to. Perhaps this is part of growing up. It is true that we may no longer drive or dance, but there are other things we can do. You see, we seem to focus more on what we no longer do or have and we sometimes choose to ignore what we do have. For example, how nice is to sit around the fireplace, in the basement of our home, to discuss our feelings and what is in our minds and hearts.

There is something I have to tell you... I have lived here for six months and today for the first time I do not feel like a stranger. I feel you are my family and I like the way some of you think. I wish we could do this more often.

... Norman unlocked his wheelchair and approaching Raymond said...

Norman: Hi Raymond, my name is Norman, nice to meet you, please join me for dinner.

Raymond: Nice to meet you too. Sure, I will have dinner with you.

Rosa: Well, I guess I would have to have dinner with Santa Clause then.

Raymond: Rosa, would you like to join Norman and I for dinner?

Rosa: What took you so long?

Ruth: I think that happiness is a personal matter because it is up to us to accept and live life and to stop feeling dead inside. I feel good about my friends and I think that among them today the chicken will have more substance.

Kathy: I agree with you Ruth. Caring for others is one of our most precious human values and actions. We have been here for more than 35 minutes listening to what each one of us wanted to share with everyone. I am glad you feel good and I wish we could continue meeting more often. Your feelings and thoughts are important. When we look beyond our limitations, others too will do the same. As you acknowledged your own capacities to nurture your life you can find better ways to live.

* * * * *

As a professional Recreation Therapist and Gerontologist, I value and see the benefits of a solid curriculum in the form of a continuing education program or certification in fostering spirituality for elders. The practice of spirituality is found in activities that renew, lift up, comfort, heal and inspire the spirit and ways we live our lives.

The practice of Clinical Therapeutic Recreation for Elders©; a curriculum written by Kathy J. Ward, and now delivered and implemented by ERT, Elder Recreation Therapy, along with spirituality is:

To identify programs that meet the interests of each person. This is also known as a ‘whole-person-center approach’ for creative self-expression. A person-centered approach is when the development of a person is the focus.

One of the purposes of Clinical Therapeutic Recreation for Elders is to nurture health and life, not to kill time. Not to keep a person occupied. Not to offer an escape from life, but to facilitate discoveries for life.

The practice of spirituality is found in activities which renew, lift up, comfort, nurture, heal and inspire the spirit and the communities in which we live our lives. A deliberate and purposeful use of an intervention process aimed at helping people nurture their spiritual health and quality of life, where dilemmas become opportunities. The inclusion and implementation of a strong spiritual therapy program is focused on individual needs and interests of the elders being served.

HAPPINESS IS HEALTH !

In 2005 Lionel Ketchian, president of the Happiness Club learned about the vision of WEL, World Elder Land© and our work in progress toward the therapeutic affects of happiness and wellness for elders. Ever since The Happiness Club has published some of my articles, and in 2005 I was invited to be their
Ambassador of Happiness For Elders.

WEL has implemented "THE HAPPY ZONE CAMPAIGN", (a creative idea of Lionel), in many elder communities. My colleagues and I continue acknowledging the meaningful relationships among thoughts and pain; happiness and aging; emotions, healing and our immune system and more...



Beyond The Happiness Club... Co-Creating Healing Synergy

Lionel Ketchian Bernie Siege, MD, Dr. Robert and Barbara Muller

We are here to help you! Please send inquiries, requests for programs, speaker and consulting services with WEL, World Elder Land to connection@kathyjward.com


Peace be with you!


Kathy J. Ward,
Universal Peace Ambassador,
Cercle Universel des Ambassadeurs de la Paix - Geneva Switzerland
President of WEL, World Elder Land
Holistic Health Practitioner and Consultant
President of ERT, Elder Recreation Therapy
Therapeutic Recreation Consultant
National Assisted Living Administrator Certified
Board Member, Activities, Adaptation and Aging Journal
Author
National Alzheimer's Association Speakers Bureau
Love Ambassador - Florida, USA
Member of the World Poet Society - Greece
Ambassador of Happiness For Elders - Connecticut, USA
Cell: (240) 393-5456