I am not a kid anymore, being 89 years young, but I feed my brain with interesting food. Reading and writing and painting with watercolors are my hobbies.
Lately I finished a painting, “The Tomb of Rachel,” which is on exhibit, together with works of other artists from the Jewish Home, at the Jewish Community Library in San Francisco.
Here in the Jewish Home there are a lot of opportunities to spread your wings. I was lucky to get in the class at the Fromm Institute at University of San Francisco, to freshen up on the plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.
Here in the Home I attend Friday evening services. Rabbi Sheldon Marder leads us by praying and singing and discussing various Jewish stories. We also have tai chi classes where we learn to meditate and relax, do reflection and deep breathing. Meditation teaches us to be calm by giving us the experience of absolute relaxation.
No matter what age you are, you can still learn new things. Creativity, the will to live, hope and faith contribute strongly to healing and well-being. I also write each month in our newsletter under “To Your Health,” which everybody enjoys reading. Repeated practice is one of the most basic principles of most spiritual and meditative paths. In other words, whatever you practice most is what you will become.