A small act of kindness can be so simple to enact, but the effects of that action can be
felt for far longer than the giver would ever realise. A case in point came from this magic moment captured perfectly by @opalagedcare photographer Mikalus, when the big-hearted Jed from @igssyd gifted his buddy Louise a poster of Michell Payne in @ridelikeagirlmovie , to her absolute delight.
During STEP, there had been a wonderful connection between the students and Elders as we played the “what’s in common” game, over a common love for Michelle Payne, and in particular Louise's love of horses ( a close second to her love of cats). It always blows me away to see how mature, kind and thoughtful the students can be ( teens cop a lack of flack for their self centeredness, but giving them the opportunity to spend time with their Elders mostly reveals the exact opposite.
Louise now proudly displays the poster on her wall for all to see. This thoughtful act of kindness from Jed was typical of his nature ( he’d surprised her the week earlier with a Roosters flag after learning that was her favourite footy team), but he likely had no real idea how his seemingly small actions could bring a world of happiness to her week.
Happy 16th Birthday for this week Jed. 🙏 for your kind ❤️ #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #bekind #kindnessrocks #michellepayne #ridelikeagirlmovie #intergenerational #intergenerationalconnection #intergenerationalprogram
#community #bringingcommunitybacktogether #heartandsoulstory #sharingstories #startaconversation #empathy #stories4connection #igssyd #volunteering #servicelearning #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #eldercare #opalagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #love #photooftheday #friends
#socialenterpriseaustralia
Today is 10.10.
World Mental Health Day. The day I came into the world 45 years ago.
I love the irony ( and it's never lost on my darling husband or family) that this day 10/10 marks #worldsmentalhealthday ... Sadly in today’s society we have come to associate 10/10 with the 'perfect' score, whether it be in sport, academics or even in relation to body image ... the irony is that in striving for elusive 10/10 in so many areas of life, we fall short and the constant pursuit can lead to an increase in mental health issues like anxiety, depression and for some even suicide. I know the pursuit wreaked havoc on my own mental health.
For so long mental illness has been taboo, not to be talked about... because it's the hard stuff. Yet 1 in 5 Australians suffer from mental illness in any given year, with almost half the population having suffered a mental health disorder at some time in their life. That statistic most definitely includes me.
So in order to do the best mental health promotion work I can through Heart and Soul Story and be the strong and inspirational, yet vulnerable and imperfect mother I want to be, I need to make some promises
I promise to .... Tell my close friends if I’m feeling unwell and needing support.
Share my journey with my family to help them understand my experience.
Reach out to people in my community and remember that one in five may be experiencing mental illness
Listen openly to my family members, and help them find support if they need it.
Check in with my mates and let them know I’m here to listen.
Be there for those in the middle of the storm by providing the support they need and want to help them find the sun again.
Help reduce stigma around mental illness to make way for more people to seek help.
Go to 10.10.org.au to make your own promise today to help shed a more positive light on mental health.
Keep well, today especially, love, hug, laugh (a lot) and when the down times come, turn to your friends & family for support ... let's ensure we help our kids and Elders do the same.
#makeapromise #worldsmentalhealthday #bettermentalhealth
#bekindtoyourself
#heartandsoulstory
#mentalhealthawareness
Today’s sunrise honours Elizabeth Louise Brady, best known to all as Betty.
If you have been following along our program with Opal and IGS over the past few months, you will have come to know and love Betty’s smile and good humour.
It was with much sadness we were informed last week that Betty took a sudden bad turn and was admitted to hospital, where she died days later surrounded by close friends.
We were so absolutely privileged to have known Betty for just a couple of months, but in that time, the students from IGS heard amazing stories about her time growing up in Wales, her marriage in 1959 and her setting off to Australia 12 days later. We learned that she loved the book and movie How Green Is My Valley, has two corgies, and absolutely rocked a pair of 🕶... we heard how she lost her husband Tony a year ago. We celebrated her 86th birthday and she had us all in stitches when I’d clang my little Tibetan 🔔 to bring the group back together and she’d sing out “ Order in the court !” The celebration of her life was held today in Erskenville, with Father Peter Guy paying homage to her wonderful friends and neighbours and also specifically to the IGS students Rory, Tasch, Jed and Annie for the time spent with her during STEP and also for being there today to pay their respects.
We heard today that this year would have been Betty and Tony’s 60th wedding anniversary. It’s a lovely thought that she may be somewhere right now dancing her 60th anniversary waltz with her Tony ... for as Kahlil Gibran said “ when the earth shall take her limbs, the shall she truely dance”. In loving memory of l
Betty Louise Brady 9.8.1933 - 18 .9. 2019
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #intergenerationalprogram
#community #bringingcommunitybacktogether #heartandsoulstory #sharingstories #startaconversation #empathy #stories4connection #igssyd #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #eldercare #opalagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #photooftheday #friends #life
#socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia
“ I believe the children are our future. Teach them them well and let them lead the way”. Could not have been truer words today. Part of an almost 80,000 strong crowd in Sydney supporting our children fighting ( and dancing 👉) for their rights to a healthy 🌍 “When your house is on fire, somebody needs to sound the alarm. Young people in our cities, displaying incredible maturity and dignity are doing just that. School children are taking to the streets, drawing attention to the terrifying threat that climate breakdown poses to their future. Young people recognise just how unfair climate change is. Those who have generated the least greenhouse gas emissions, including the poorest, most disadvantaged and youngest in society, will suffer the worst effects of a rapidly changing global climate. They are right to sound the alarm, and they are right to demand action that tackles climate change and inequality simultaneously” (part of a strongly worded joint statement released overnight by mayors of Paris, New York City, Los Angeles and Copenhagen)
#makethefuturecool #onekidcandosomuch #kidpowerforourplanetsfuture
#climatestrike #climate
#schoolsstrikeforclimate
#thereisnoplanetb
#notbusinessasusual
#bringingcommunitybacktogether #bthechange #soundthealarm
#lovemotherearth
It’s not business as usual today. It’s time to take to the streets to support our children in their pleas to be heard around the 🌎. It is time.
My daughter Indie is 8 years old and decided to prepare her public speaking speech a few weeks ago on climate change. So did the 3 other students she was up against in the school final. Coincidence ? No. A topic they are passionate about and wanting to do their bit to change? yes.
I read Paul Gilding’s The Great Disruption around 8 years ago. I felt his despair. I worried for my children’s future...how do I explain that as a civilisation we are choosing extinction as a future .... in Paul’s words “
What we now know, is that we are facing a time sensitive, existential risk. Failing to respond adequately, could commit humanity to widespread misery for hundreds and possibly thousands of years. It could literally change the course of evolution and human history....
What we have to do now is simple. We have to decide – do we choose extinction? Or do we choose to fight it?
To rebel against it. To stand in its way.
To do all we can possibly do, to get humanity on a different path.
That is our choice. And each and every one of us now gets to decide.
That’s why we’re in the streets.
That’s why this matters…..like never before.” We don’t want to stay stuck in despair. So we are taking action together. We have been inspired by @2040film and all the solutions that are in place today that could change the course of our future if we choose to adopt them, such as educating girls and women across the 🌍 and choosing to share 🚗. It’s not business as usual.
It’s sometimes a hard decision to take them time to stop, but the time has come.
Let’s make the future cool.
@gretathunberg 🙏 for showing us all that one kid can do so much !
Picture repost @barackobama
#makethefuturecool #onekidcandosomuch #kidpowerforourplanetsfuture
#climatestrike #climate
#schoolsstrikeforclimate
#thereisnoplanetb
#notbusinessasusual
#bringingcommunitybacktogether #bthechange
Yesterday was time for the students from The Bowen College to visit during school time for the last time for this term. They delighted the Bupa residents by creating delicately constructed paper flowers to add some colour to their day under the guidance of amazing local artist Rosemary Strachan.
The classic line of the day was when resident Jean, with a twinkle in her eye, asked “ Was there any swearing while making them?” to which some students replied “definitely!” with wide grins. The pride was evident, though, for those who had found the task a challenge, but stuck with it. Especially when they saw the delight in their Elder buddies faces when receiving them. The portable turntable was playing Elvis as questions from School of Life were swapped. Memories were shared by residents on where they were when they heard of the twin towers falling 18 years earlier. Jean recalled her daughter boarding a flight to the US that day and her trepidation about that. Reminiscing together about that horrific incident,and the sudden loss for so many families, gave all a moment to reflect on how lucky we are for where we are at in our own lives. “Compassion lowers anxiety by releasing us from the trap of self-absorption. It encourages our tolerance of difference and generates a disposition to be kind and non-judgemental.” Hugh Mackay
#seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community #bringingcommunitybacktogether #heartandsoulstory #sharingstories #empathy #bekind #startaconversation #stories4connection #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #eldercare #seniorcare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #ruok
#artclasseswithrose
Yesterday was time for the students from The Bowen College to visit during school time for the last time for this term. They delighted the Bupa residents by creating delicately constructed paper flowers to add some colour to their day under the guidance of amazing local artist Rosemary Strachan.
The classic line of the day was when resident Jean, with a twinkle in her eye, asked “ Was there any swearing while making them?” to which some students replied “definitely!” with wide grins. The pride was evident, though, for those who had found the task a challenge, but stuck with it. Especially when they saw the delight in their Elder buddies faces when receiving them. The portable turntable was playing Elvis as questions from School of Life were swapped. Memories were shared by residents on where they were when they heard of the twin towers falling 18 years earlier. Jean recalled her daughter boarding a flight to the US that day and her trepidation about that. Reminiscing together about that horrific incident,and the sudden loss for so many families, gave all a moment to reflect on how lucky we are for where we are at in our own lives. “Compassion lowers anxiety by releasing us from the trap of self-absorption. It encourages our tolerance of difference and generates a disposition to be kind and non-judgemental.” Hugh Mackay
#seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community #bringingcommunitybacktogether #heartandsoulstory #sharingstories #empathy #bekind #startaconversation #stories4connection #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #eldercare #seniorcare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #ruok
#artclasseswithrose
“Chess is not always about winning. Sometimes it’s simply about learning. So is life.”
Chess ♟ monopoly and conversation ....
It’s busy times for Bupa Maroubra wth a new lift upgrade underway, leaving the downstairs area we usually meet in eerily quiet ….however, no lift outage will stop these residents and students getting together!
Jean, Dimitrios, John, Peter, Connie and Mary all joined the students for ocean views in the small north end sitting area of Level 2…. Residents Jean and student Angus had a special request for Monopoly last week, and were straight into it with Thiery, joining in …. All the others followed suit, with resident Peter showing his fierce mind for chess against Alex … and student Johnnie showing that he had a few good moves up his sleeves also.
We had a new take on Uno, converting it to Rummy with student Carla and resident Dimitrios winning one game each….
Residents Connie and Mary kept Adele engaged with stories of their lives in the Philippines/ Sumatra and here and Adele told them a few things about what she likes ( and doesn’t) about school)… The final Spring session of STEP for Bupa Maroubra and The Bowen College will run on Wednesday before the students go off on camp.
#seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community #gamesday #bringingcommunitybacktogether #heartandsoulstory #sharingstories #startaconversation #stories4connection #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #eldercare #seniorcare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #photooftheday #friends
#socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia
“When does someone become ‘grown-up’? Thursday 29th August we welcomed back residents Betty, Garry, Louise, Kevin and Robbie to talk with Rory ,Tasch, Jed and Annie about some of the more interesting questions in life such as “how strict will you be / were you as a parent?” and “what do people younger than you not understand?” We were fortunate to have documentary director @harry_sanna sit in to observe the group interaction to assess whether they would like to film a documentary about the need for community connection… according to Harry & Mandy from Buddy Films
“In the headlong pursuit of ‘better' lives, many Australians have forgotten the value of our elders as banks of wisdom while simultaneously shrugging off the seemingly mystifying needs of this generation of adolescents. At a time where generational divide seems at its most pronounced, it would be extremely powerful for our community to be able to witness this ravine be bridged through an insight into a series of authentic and heartwarming interactions and conversations”
The final Recognition Gathering for the current program with families and Opal staff invited this coming Thursday. No doubt as always, it will be a time of emotional reflection, laughter and importantly, gratitude for time spent together over the past months.
#seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #intergenerationalprogram
#community #bringingcommunitybacktogether #heartandsoulstory #sharingstories #startaconversation #empathy #stories4connection #igssyd #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #eldercare #opalagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #photooftheday #friends #life
#socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia
