Circle of Life

In late March, my 101 year old great aunt fell, and I had to call 911 to have her taken to the hospital. Subsequently, it was determined that she could no longer live alone. She’d done a marvelous job of being independent with my weekly help, but the time had now arrived when we needed to find a different living arrangement.

In going through the process of moving her from hospital to nursing facility to a Care Home, I saw the process of disengagement from life to death in those who were living in the nursing facility, and it made me aware of how life is actually a circle. 

We come into life after 9 months of gestation, and go through the process of labor. We are born as helpless little babies who need to be bathed, clothed, fed, and have our diapers changed. We sleep most of the time with a gradual increase in awake time and awareness of what is around us. We become conscious and emerge into the world.

As we grow old, unless we have a premature death, we come to the point of once again needing care from others. And when our bodies wear down, we once again are somewhat helpless, need to be fed, bathed and clothed,  have our diapers changed, and spend more and more time in the sleep state as we disengage from the process of daily alertness and interest in life. And just as labor takes 9 months, this process of releasing life takes the time it needs for us to gather ourselves in preparation for the next great journey.

There are so many rites of passage throughout our lives—moving from babyhood to childhood, from childhood to teen years, young adulthood, full adulthood, menopause and the entrance to older years, and finally old age. Each has a precious opportunity and a challenge—but all are part of our development and fulfillment, and in the end, we do indeed complete a full Circle of Life.
From Seasons of the Soul Spring 2008