Honoring the Dance

As a woman matures and enters into the phase of her life when she is considered elderly, her energy often turns to contemplating upon the legacy that she has created with her life. This part of her life reflects the qualities of the north on the medicine wheel. The north is focused upon wisdom, generosity of spirit and the path of right action.

In the energetic realm of the magnanimity of ones achievements being proportionate to their impact upon the world, the quality of size is nebulous. Seemingly small actions can have an immense impact that is far-reaching and enduring, while the flamboyance of what appears to be a massive achievement can project a minimal impact of little significance.

If she is wise, the elderly woman understands that her legacy is not an accumulation of wealth in the form of money, but in the wealth of her knowledge gained throughout life. Her legacy is the quality of love and compassion that she has received from and extended toward others. Her legacy is the wealth of her stories that can be shared with others that provide insight into the historical and cultural content of her life and that illustrate parallels of her behaviors and thought to those individuals who are younger than her.

The elderly woman draws upon all of the phases of her dance in this life to honor its complexity and totality. When she pursues life with a balanced and healthy perspective, she has the opportunity to nurture herself while honoring her needs on a deeper level and to rejoice more profoundly in the reverence of living. When she also extends her nurturing and wisdom to those who are beginning their dance, assisting them to honor themselves and to approach the dance with joy, the elderly woman stands in her true power.

A woman's legacy, in the end, is the invaluable asset of the gift of her Self and her willingness to be part of the dance.