A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. It is easy to love children. Even tyrants and dictators make a point of being fond of children. But the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless are the true gold mines of a culture.

~ Rabbi Abraham Heschel

Did you know that May is National Older American's Month? And that each year there is a new theme? May 2019's theme is Connect, Create, Contribute, and it speaks to my soul; I am a social worker, a gerontologist, and a SoulCollage® Facilitator - what a perfect blend!

Some may call me an old soul, because of my passion for being with older adults. When I was born, my parents were young (20 and 23 years old); this meant that my grandparents were also quite young. I was lucky to spend a lot of time with them, and built close relationships with them well into my adulthood. I learned the "old ways" of doing things, the respect every human being desires and requires, and most importantly, family stories and recipes. Little did I know then that many of my conversations were a form of Reminiscence and Life Review for my grandparents - a therapeutic concept I didn't know until graduate school!
 

In My Time (Community Suit) by Gina Maguire I Am One Who has lived through much, decades and decades. I have lots to share with a willing ear.  Do not marginalize me. In my time, I was a young vibrant woman, and I am still worthy.  Learn from my life, hear my story, enrich your life.

Erik Erikson's last two stages of development, Generativity vs Stagnation (ages 40-65) and Ego Integrity vs Despair (ages 65 and up) are quite important for each person. Successfully navigating Generativity vs Stagnation means creating a legacy or making positive contributions to something that will benefit others after the individual has passed on. The goal of the life stage Erikson calls Ego Integrity vs Despair is to reminisce about one's life and come to accept it as having had its own coherence and wholeness. Meeting these goals successfully is necessary if we are to feel satisfied with our lives, and SoulCollage® is a wonderful, creative way to achieve them.

Creating and discovering your Neters, your members of each suit can assist in successfully navigating the years beyond 40 - I speak as one who's already there! The two suits that stand out in this process for me are the Committee and Community Suits.

Discovering the members of your Committee is important to represent your many roles in life - and, I'm guessing, the many gifts you offer to your family, friends, and the world. My Inner Writer card helps me discover the world around me and allows me to touch others' lives through my writing. My Time Management Superhero card speaks to my ability to "run our family like a well-oiled machine - that sometimes takes detours," according to my family. My Crafter card allows me to share my creativity and love of arts and crafts, passed down through the generations of my family and learned from friends.

Time Management Superhero (Committee Suit) by Gina Maguire

My Community Suit is full of those who are, or were, important in my life. Creating and working with these Neters assists me in reminiscing on our time together, on the lessons they have taught me, and sometimes, in making peace with the relationship. The special cards that I have worked with lately are my Grandmother card and SoulCollage® Trainer Kat Kirby's card. My grandmother passed away unexpectedly in 2006, while I was in Germany with her. She died within a mile of where she was born. I often ask her for support, encouragement, and advice, just as I did so many years ago. She was my rock, and maybe still is.
 

	Kat (Community Suit) by Gina Maguire I Am One Who encourages creativity, honesty, and openness.

Kat Kirby was my SoulCollage® Trainer. She is an art therapist and an overall creative and nourishing soul. She may not be aware of this, but my Training happened a month after my brother passed away unexpectedly. I spent my first weekend without an anxiety attack with her and a wonderful group of women in Pennsylvania. I credit Kat with helping me to find my creative soul again. As a bonus, by doing so, I am able to share the magic of SoulCollage® with others.

My work at the Stockton Center on Successful Aging at Stockton University allows me to plan and facilitate groups with older adults. Our monthly SoulCollage® group includes some of the most creative, prolific, deep-thinking, and welcoming women I have ever met. They each feel that SoulCollage® is an important part of their lives, and we spend the days before our sessions and the days after our sessions talking about our sessions! Our group connects with each other and our Neters; we create new cards and energies, and each person contributes to the group - sometimes by sharing supplies, sometimes sharing thoughts, but always sharing our creativity and love.

 
Gina Maguire, MSW, LSW, a SoulCollage® Facilitator since 2017, is a Professional Services Specialist at the Stockton Center for Successful Aging and a Gerontology Adjunct Professor at Stockton University in Galloway, NJ. This is not Gina's first stab at writing. In 2017, she published a book about her grandfather, It Was Fate - A War, A Massacre, A Romance: The World War II Memoir of Nick Venturella.

The opinions expressed in the SoulCollage® Community Update are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent SoulCollage Inc. Authors retain the copyright to their individual articles. Please send feedback and questions to info@soulcollage.com.