On Wednesday, October 4, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon, the Cook Memorial Library will hold the first in a monthly series of facilitated discussions on “Practical Wisdom.” The October discussion topic will be “Practical Wisdom on Talking about Aging” and will be facilitated by Marianne Jackson, MD, MPH.
Issues for this month’s discussion will include initiating conversations with family, friends, and neighbors, making decisions, and overcoming barriers that keep us from sharing our deepest wishes and honest fears. Tools and prompts including “Go Wish” cards and conversation starter cards will aid the discussion. The cards will be available to borrow after the discussion.
The Practical Wisdom discussion series is the brainchild of Mary Power who moved here from Connecticut in 2015 and now lives with her daughter and son-in- law, Nina and Sheldon Perry. Mary served for 25 years as an NGO (non-governmental organization) representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. She was particularly involved in the four UN global conferences on the Advancement of Women, held in Mexico in 1975, Denmark in 1980, Kenya in 1985 and China in 1995. Since her retirement in 1997, having joined the growing community of the elderly, Mary has been exploring the various aspects of the aging process and looks forward to an engaging discussion at the Oct. 4 program.
Dr. Jackson is a retired Ob-Gyn who is dedicated to reducing the unnecessary suffering and conflict experienced by families who are unprepared for a family member or neighbor’s transition to end-of- life care. After obtaining her Master’s in public Health in North Carolina, she has returned to the Valley where she is involved in multiple organizations promoting active, sustainable living in community.
The discussions will continue monthly on first Wednesdays, beginning at 10:30 a.m. November’s topic will be “Practical Wisdom on Giving” and will take place on November 1.