The Capacity to See Meaning

Charlie Chaplin used the metaphor of film when he was quoted as saying, “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.”

If I could, I would ask Charlie Chaplin: how far of a long-shot does it take to see the comedy?

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Hello, friend ~

We have arrived in September once again. This year has felt like the fastest yet longest one on record for me, with the last few months spotlighting the continuum of life through events filled with both great joy and deep sorrow.

I wonder if the inference by Charlie Chaplin was that life feels less sharp from a distance? When the movie is in long-shot, our lens has a different capacity for seeing meaning than from a close-up lens.

From close-up, life events tend to reverberate deeply. A reminder of our fragility, our strength, and our vulnerability comes with each new twist and turn on our path.

Collectively and individually, we hold multiple complexities: tragedy, humor, and everything in between. Connection with others can affirm our experiences, metaphorically allowing us a way of adjusting the lens.

Through our shared human condition, we create opportunities to validate our feelings, both giving and receiving comfort through mutual support. Resilience is born from this exchange.

Beginning this month, I am hosting new groups to facilitate discussions on a variety of topics relevant to the journey of aging and how we relate to it.

These groups are the result of a long-worked-on partnership with West Bloomfield Township to offer relevant and purposeful engagement among agers and their families.

I look forward to the conversations to come. We have so much to learn from each other!

In ongoing connection,