“Older now, you find holiness in anything that continues.”

—Naomi Shihab Nye, American Poet

Image from Alaska native news

Gary Muehlberger, who recently passed, was a featured character in the National Geographic show Port Protection.  Well into his 70s, this white-haired, no-nonsense man looked a bit like a skinny Santa.  He lived in an Alaskan community of people who live life on their own terms, hunting, fishing, and gathering many of the resources they need from the land and sea.

Gary was a jack of many trades. He owned a fishing boat build in 1919 which he used for catching salmon. This bucket-of-bolts required frequent attention and repairs by himself and other handy folks in his community, but kept chugging along and fed him for many years, body and soul.

EXERCISE:

What have you noticed about the aging process in yourself and others these past few years?

How have you come to more fully acknowledge and appreciate the resilience and enduring qualities within yourself and your communities?