Pandemic Ponderings

Eight months and thirty-two blog posts ago when I began Ageless Possibilities, I shared my first three blog posts with a few trusted friends for their honest feedback. One of my friends thought I was building a community for writers or women who wanted to write. That was not my intent and so I revised those early blog posts to reflect broader interests.

Now, fast-forward eight months! Some of the bloggers I follow are taking some time for reflection this week. Min, over at Write of the Middle, is taking time for some spiritual maintenance, writing that she is “feeling very depleted and quite flat/sad”. She shares a list of COVID and non-COVID things contributing to this feeling of depletion, a list that I think will resonate with many of you. It certainly resonates with me. Sandra writes in her blog post, How to Overcome your Fear of Change, at Always Well Within, that we can minimize the suffering that comes along with change, felt by so many of us these days, by learning to accept impermanence. She turns to the Five Remembrances from Thich Nhat Hanh to lead us through some helpful practices. And Christina, over at Midlife Stylist titled her blog post this week, 2020 – My Unpredictable Year. She began this year full of optimism and excitement, and reflects on the reasons the year has not panned out the way she had planned. She writes of the emotional strain this has put on her and that she is reaching out for some counselling to help her adjust. My doctor shared with me in a phone appointment earlier this week that COVID has impacted the mental health of over 80% of Canadians. I know I am part of that demographic.

Spiritual exhaustion, fear of change, and interrupted plans all resonate for me and like these bloggers, and I expect like many of you, I have also been taking some time for reflection. I have been reflecting on my journey, not only through these unprecedented times but also on my life journey, how my past is related to my present and how my present provides a window to my future. My reflection is done by putting pen to paper – morning pages, memoir writing, the copious number of notes I jot down during the day on post-its, and this blog.

Writing is an important part of my life, it always has been. I learned early on in life that writing things down, especially when I am feeling vulnerable, gives me insight and clarity. This blog may not be for writers but writing is a significant part of my journey. I have heard from a number of you who also have a strong desire to put pen to paper, but you feel you don’t have the skills to write. Well, let me tell you, you can write! And you don’t need writing experience. With this in mind, I have been giving a lot of thought over this past year about how I can share the power of writing our stories with you, and other women transitioning from midlife. 

I am excited to share with you that I am just making the last edits to my website and next week I will be launching, Women Rowing North: Writing Our Life Stories!

In the meantime, I would like to give you early access to Pandemic Ponderings, a 4-week workshop series I am facilitating in September. This is a time that we need to be there for each other and Pandemic Ponderings is my gift to you during these uncertain times.

Many of us are holding more questions than answers these days. Documenting our stories through a gentle and supported process, called Guided Autobiography, can help connect and create resilience in a time of isolation and uncertainty. Pandemic Ponderings is based on techniques that continue to guide my own reflective journey. Join me in this workshop series exploring themes and meaningful writing prompts to help you explore your pandemic ponderings. Share weekly life stories with women joining you on this journey. This workshop series offers a safe, small-group experience for women interested in exploring aging through life stories. No writing experience necessary. I hope you’ll join me.

Please note that workshop spaces are limited. If there is sufficient interest I will also offer Pandemic Ponderings workshops in October and November. Once Women Rowing North launches, you will be able to subscribe to a monthly newsletter to receive information on new courses, resources and writing prompts. In the meantime, please email me at agelesspossibilities@shaw.ca if you are interested in registering for an upcoming Pandemic Ponderings workshop.