Workshop 1: Elderhood – A Work in Progress | Hindsight, Humor, and Hope | Faith Curricula Library,Tapestry of Faith

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Part of Hindsight, Humor, and Hope: Who, Me, an Elder?

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Introduction
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

This workshop introduces the idea of elderhood as a creative and important time of life, a time to search inside, integrate experiences, and cultivate wisdom. Rituals and activities for the program, such as journaling, sharing blessings, and allowing for silence between speakers, will be…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 10 Lunch 20 Opening 10 Activity 1: Valuing Elderhood 10 Activity 2: The Good and Bad of Being Older 20 Activity 3: Spiritual Journaling 35 For Next Time 5 Closing 10…
Materials
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Coffee, tea, and water service items Tissues (for participant use) Newsprint, markers, and tape Chalice, candle, and lighter, or LED battery-operated candle Cloth and decorations for worship table: flowers, leaves, plant, small sculpture, or other decorative items Chime or bell for signaling time…
Preparation
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Arrange for coffee, tea, and water at the workshop. Arrange for furniture set-up: For large group: Place tables in a horseshoe arrangement (leaders at the head table, chairs around outside of tables)….
Lunch
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Activity time: 20 minutes Encourage participants to chat over lunch. As lunch draws to a close, distribute Handout 1, Over Sixty: The Good Life Comes with Old Age. With your co-leader or a volunteer, read the column aloud. Pace the reading; allow time for laughter.
Opening
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Activity time: 10 minutes Model personal introductions for the group by sharing your name and age. Invite participants to introduce themselves. You might say: As we go around the group, please say your name clearly and your years of life experience—also known as your age. This sets the tone for…
Activity 1: Valuing Elderhood
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Activity time: 10 minutes Share the contents of Leader Resource 1, Valuing Elderhood. Invite comments.
Activity 2: The Good and Bad of Being Older
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Activity time: 20 minutes Say: What comes to mind when you think of aging? Most likely there are some negative things. Invite the group to brainstorm a list of negative aspects of aging. Pace the brainstorm slowly so there is time for agreement, laughter, sadness, wistfulness, and other responses.
Activity 3: Spiritual Journaling
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Activity time: 35 minutes Introduce the activity with these or similar words: Today and every day, we are still evolving, still developing our inner self, which we call our spiritual self, our soul, the essence of our being….
For Next Time
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Activity time: 5 minutes Distribute Handout 2, Looking Ahead to Workshop 2. Go over its contents, and answer any questions.
Closing
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Activity time: 10 minutes Post the closing words so all can see them. Spread out Blessing Cards, text side down, and invite each participant to take one. Then take a card and read your blessing aloud. Invite participants in turn to share their blessings aloud. Allow a pause between each blessing.
Handout 1: Over Sixty: The Good Life Comes with Old Age
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

By Donald M. Murray. Copyright 1996, in The Boston Globe. Reprinted by permission of The Rosenberg Group on behalf of the Author’s estate. I’m doing a class project on aging America. What’s it like to be a golden ager? Old. Excuse me? Not elderly, not senior citizen, never golden ager. I’m…
Handout 2: Looking Ahead to Workshop 2
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

There are years that ask questions and years that answer. — Zora Neale Hurston For Next Time 1. Write in Your Journal Consider the most influential people in your life. Divide pages into thirds and title each third of a page with a decade; for example, birth to age 10, age 11-20, and so on. Then,…
Leader Resource 1: Valuing Elderhood
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Attitudes toward older people have varied—and continue to vary—across time and cultures. In some times and places, elders have enjoyed positive acceptance and embrace; in others, the reception has been negative. Traditional Near Eastern and Asian cultures revered their elders. The ancient Greeks…
Leader Resource 2: Blessing Cards
From Hindsight, Humor, and Hope

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.

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Workshop 1: Elderhood – A Work in Progress

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