SI and I: My Story

I began my journey to discover my inner life, that is the search for my soul and my authentic self at age 42 when the grit of the failure of a marriage began to form.   From that point my inner journey took me to new places where I began to explore new ways of being such as certification in Gestalt Therapy at Southern Connecticut State University as well as family systems at The Hellinger Institute and a grounding in psychotherapy with the Center for Intentional Living.  These studies were completed by my 71st birthday.

As a practicing architect I realized that these studies had enhanced my ability to listen and be with a client and I thought that was a gift.  There was a question in my mind of how I would take this training to another level.  Then I met Ron Pevny and on a desert retreat he suggested I read From Aging to Sage-ing and consider the Sage-ing international training program.

I followed up on that suggestion and was impressed with Reb Zalman’s concepts on aging and his ideas on the new paradigm he referred to as Sage-ing.  In 2014 I enrolled in the certified Sage-ing Leader program and began to see a new purpose in having begun my soul journey some 20 years earlier.  I saw the possibility of sharing my love of learning and community and what I had gained through service with other elders who may not yet found their way to discovery of soul and purpose.

It has been my privilege to serve as Co-chair of Sage-ing International from 2017 to 2020.  It was an opportunity to work with leaders of excellence and confirmed that this was my “tribe”.  Those years were challenging due to the pandemic and the growth we experienced through offering virtual programs. Serving as chair of the Service Team and its transformation into the Service in Community Team has been another gift. The work of strengthening our relationship with members by holding information webinars and collaborating on the Sage-ing Times newsletter are just some of the efforts to serve the community that have been rewarding.

The last 46 years leading up to 2023 have been the best; in personal growth as well as in my relationships, family, and community. Each day continues to be a revelation, watching how the seeds planted are now bearing the fruit that I am harvesting.