Six Words that Inspire: How Can I Help the Future?

Are you ready for wonderful news?

LeadingAge Annual Meeting + EXPO is being held in person in Atlanta, GA, October 24 – 27, 2021.?

We are so grateful to the LeadingAge staff who worked tirelessly to transition the Annual Meeting to a virtual platform in 2020 and I must admit, I am even more grateful to be back to the in-person experience, which we all have missed.?The LeadingAge staff, along with the Education Committee, keynote speakers, education session speakers, vendors, and consultants, are ready to create an experience for learning, networking, and finding the right resources to move us all FORWARD.?

I can’t wait to be with LeadingAge members, learning, laughing, and sharing knowledge.

As we count down the days until the meeting begins in Atlanta, I’d like you to join me in reflecting on our experiences as a result of the COVID pandemic. What have you learned? How have you changed? What are you looking forward to?

Recently, we challenged the Duncaster Resident’s Memoir Writing Group to write a six-word memoir, an idea inspired by an article in the New York Times (September 11, 2020) titled “The Pandemic in Six Word Memoirs.” Writing a seemingly simple six-word phrase such as, “Are you ready for wonderful news?” can be extremely powerful. It piques our curiosity and symbolizes that something delightful is around the corner. Created by Larry Smith, who was inspired by Ernest Hemingway, the six-word memoir is intended to describe one's life experiences, to try to make sense of them one perspective at a time. Here are some of the memoirs written by our Duncaster residents, some sad, some bold, and some funny:

·??????How long will this go on?

·??????I believe this too will pass.

·??????I miss my family so bad.

·??????Bad hair and pajamas all day.

·??????Zoom, zoom, zoom, what is zoom?

Larry Smith believes we are all story tellers. And after the year we have experienced, we have many stories to tell. Stories about joy, loss, fear, anger, strength, courage, change, learning, and gratitude. Stories about what we bring forward or leave behind, about our triumphs and tragedies.?

Here are a few six-word stories that have been bouncing around in my mind over the past few months:

·??????What do I need to learn, unlearn?

·??????Hope over fear, hugs over distance.

·??????How can I help the future?

·??????Surround yourself with kind thoughtful people.

·??????What are you most hopeful for??

In preparation for the 2021 LeadingAge Annual Meeting + EXPO in Atlanta, I ask that you challenge yourself to write a six-word memoir. Please share them in the comment section below. I can’t wait to read them and see all of you in Atlanta.?

Registration opens in mid-July when we will take the first step to move forward.?

Come together. Be present. Change lives.

Visit our website for more information about the 2021 Annual Meeting + EXPO.

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Editor’s Note: LeadingAge invited members to share their perspective on taking the first step to move forward as a community at the the 2021 Annual Meeting + EXPO on October 24-27. This the first in-person event LeadingAge is hosting in more than 18 months and we’re counting on you to be there with us. Join thousands of your peers to learn, share, grow, and move forward. Together. For more info, visit the 2021 Annual Meeting + EXPO website.