‘Tis a tale oft told, a tale that’s decidedly old
A legend for daring dreamers of every age
This concept that near the foot of each rainbow, there lies a pot of gold.
Wise folks seek not discovery of some golden gift
While dark clouds rage and hearts do break
They wait, knowing that eventually, every storm cloud must lift.
They reckon that reward comes to the watchful eye
To the one who dares to hope, to trust, and to seek
The magic moment when peace will return, and beauty will arch on high.
As we age, darkness and light sometimes seem poles apart
And yet they are linked, just as this photo reveals
Ever so sweetly, they beckon wise elders to make a fresh start.
Author
Helen Waldstein Wilkes PhD is an energized octogenarian who has lived a richly rewarding life and hopes to continue doing so for years to come. Helen fled the Nazi’s with her family in 1939 and came to Canada where they struggled to adapt on an Ontario farm. Helen was educated in Canada but earned her PhD (Renaissance French literature) in the U.S. She spent 30 years teaching and developing research interests that include cross-cultural understanding, language acquisition, and neurolinguistics. Retirement has brought Helen inner transformation and the freedom of time and space to examine her cultural inheritance and its impact. Through this journey, Helen has found a way to show others a path to a life full of passion and purpose.
About The Aging of Aquarius
Live your passion and purpose and change the world as an empowered elder.
Your career has wound down, the kids have moved, and your schedule is clear…for the next 30 years.
In your youth, you cared about people and planet earth, and you had grand visions of changing the world. At some point, those passions and that sense of purpose got buried under diapers and the 9-5. Still, that old you remains alive. Now, with the rest of your life ahead, you can be the change and make this next stage of your life the most powerful yet.
But where to start?
Helen Wilkes, a retired professor and activist, takes readers on an inspiring journey to find renewed purpose in retirement. Along the way she helps readers navigate the transition to a post-work identity by fanning the embers of lost passions and developing new interests.
Whether you are drawn to gardening clubs, to social justice issues, political campaigning, ethical investing, or creativity through the arts, The Aging of Aquarius offers inspiration, practical steps, and extra resources to help reignite your passion, your sense of purpose, and to effect real change in the world as an empowered elder.
* Image banner courtesy of Leslie Nelson