You’ve certainly heard the term “I’m no spring chicken.” I’ve definitely said it about myself.
The phrase dates from 18th- and 19th-century farming practices, where chickens born in the spring were more highly valued and brought a better price.
But, although I’ve referred to the saying, I don’t really agree with the notion. With age, hopefully, comes wisdom. Maybe it’s because I’m in the upper age bracket, but I marvel at those who age with grace and consistently find interesting things to learn or to share with others.
I recently met a young 85-year-old who spent most of his professional career in the finance field. Henry was always a painter at heart, but his art became a hobby (often on the back burner) as he and his wife raised their family. Upon retirement, Henry finally had time to focus full time on his love of painting.
As I walked into the assisted living community where he now calls home, I saw his amazing work. He paints portraits of the staff and his neighbors and captures their personalities with such brilliance. Each portrait is framed and hung in the community room for all to enjoy. And residents can tell you the life stories about each subject.
Henry also teaches a painting class once a month. He says that continuing to share his talents and love of being an artist keeps him young. And who could argue with that?
In this issue, we focus on learning for all ages. Everything from our Cultural Summer Camps Guide to a look at Creative Aging, a program that draws upon research from institutions such as the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s International Arts + Mind Lab and the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine.
The conclusion of that research is that the arts play a role in healing. We also highlight CATS, an arts-based program at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Lake Nona that’s making a difference in the lives of their young patients.
Embracing cross-sector approaches in all areas makes our community stronger and our residents happier and healthier. Let’s all be Henry. We might not end up with our portrait on a wall, but we can share our gifts and celebrate those around us no matter what age box we check.
Cindy Bowman LaFronz
Editor-In-Chief, Artistry
