Grounded Grandmothers

By Aukje Kapteyn

Embrace the Fullness of Life's Grandest Stage

This transformative guide for today's grandparents and those seeking to understand aging parents celebrates the joys of getting older while offering practical wisdom and heartfelt insights. Through a blend of reflection, journaling, and processing techniques, Kapteyn guides readers on a journey towards self-discovery and self-acceptance.

By embracing their role as calming and engaged grandparents, readers learn to navigate the complexities of this profound stage of life. With poignant and humorous storytelling, Kapteyn shares inspiring personal examples that illustrate profound truths. These stories, coupled with simple yet powerful exercises, help embody and ground the principles discussed.

Grounded Grandmothers helps you navigate a world that can often feel chaotic and cultivate a deeper sense of presence and gratitude.

You will discover:
• Practical techniques for becoming a calming and engaged grandparent
• Enhanced communication skills with family members and aging parents
• Reflection, journaling, and processing techniques for self-discovery
• A sense of grounding and presence in a chaotic world
•Practical exercises in each chapter to facilitate personal growth and progress

Recognizing the unique context of today's grandparents, who grew up with a strong work ethic and a belief in the separation of body and spirit, Kapteyn addresses the common tendency to neglect self-care and self-fulfillment. Grounded Grandmothers offers a path towards rediscovering serenity, calm, and joy.

Grounded Grandmothers is an uplifting and accessible read for any parent or grandparent seeking inspiration, joy, and love in life. It is a guide to embracing the beauty of aging, cultivating deeper connections, and finding fulfillment in this grand stage of life. Kapteyn's wisdom and guidance will undoubtedly resonate, offering you the tools they need to navigate the journey with grace and wisdom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Feb 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781982263843

Aukje Kapteyn

Aukje Kapteyn is a 72-year-old woman, a mother of three and grandmother of seven children. She has worked with First Nations communities as a counselling therapist for the past 32 years and owned and operated a retreat centre in Northern Alberta. She divides her time between living in Alberta and on Vancouver Island. Writing is a significant part of her self-expression and spiritual awakening. She has published journal projects, poetry, feature articles, and prize-winning stories. She has designed courses for self-development, facilitated retreats and is keenly aware of the opportunities facing her generation. This is her first non-fiction. www.thejournalcoach.ca

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Copyright © 2021 Aukje Kapteyn.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use

of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical

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ISBN: 978-1-9822-6386-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6385-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6384-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021902785

Balboa Press rev. date: 03/26/2021

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1     Finding Joy

Chapter 2     Accepting Reality

Chapter 3     Reality of Aging

Chapter 4     Background Space

Chapter 5     Shoulds that Sabotage

Chapter 6     Our Wonderful Memories

Chapter 7     Hanging Out With Self

Chapter 8     Responsibility and Resilience

Chapter 9     Sensuality and Sexuality

Chapter 10   Finding Transcendence

Chapter 11   You and the World

Conclusion: Gratitude

About the Author

Dedication

This book is dedicated to four of my very best friends,

with whom I’ve shared secrets, belly laughs and tears,

who are profound examples of unstinting generosity and joyful ‘grandparenting’:

Thea De Groot

Louise Visser

Jamie Rossiter

Claire Gemmel-Mathieu

You have gone to another dimension. I think of you often.

Acknowledgements

There is such gratitude in me for all the people in my life who have walked beside me for a time. They have made this journey challenging, fun and meaningful. I cannot list them all.

They are the mentors who early on taught me the meaning of compassion, especially self-compassion, who broadened my belief in the invisible realm, who taught me techniques to enhance the journey towards a more heart-centred living and loving: Gerard Jud and Elizabeth Jud from Shalom Retreats, Diane Pitfield, Richard Moss, Brugh Joy, Leslie Temple Thurston, Brad Laughlin, Deepak Chopra and Jean Houston.

They are the friends who inspired my writing and believed in the eventual publishing of a book: my very capable and insightful editor Cheryl Mahaffy, Ron Moore, Marg Swytink, my sister Herma Van Zoost, and Mark Rota. Our intertwining journeys are never forgotten and have enriched my life immeasurably.

I thank my grandson Braxton, who is responsible for the picture of me with my youngest granddaughter, and my long-time friend Jan De Bree, who provided the book’s cover picture.

Without the sweet love and support of my family, I would have floundered. Thank you, Angela, Jesse and Joel. The hugs and affection of my grandchildren sustained me: Braxton, Tijs, Rial, Thea, Veda, Buck and Lark. I’m blessed and I know it!

Introduction

There is a peculiar kind of grandmother walking the planet these days. She is both ancient, as old as humanity itself, and also new in that she is both wise and restless in her response to world. She has a vantage point of life experience while at the same time being a complete newbie about technology, social media, language shortcuts and current modes of communication. (I follow my grandkids on Instagram and sometimes don’t have a clue what they’re talking about.) What is also new is that being at the age of potential grandparenting and even great-grandparenting, does not mean I’m at the end of my life. Grandmothers still have a lot of vitality, interest, passion and willingness to contribute to the wellbeing of others, the planet and our own physical, emotional and spiritual health.

We may need more time to integrate information, especially given the speed at which it comes to us, and to have solace and stillness and rest, yet we also have a drive to be active, to make a difference and to enjoy being alive. We have more on our plates, more disquiet in our environs, more call to be engaged with the youth and children of the world. We want to do it all, yet that all is overwhelming at times.

We have grandchildren to engage with or to raise, a partner or friend to care for as they are dying, friends who are ill and need to be driven to appointments, an aging parent to sit with, a dependent adult child or two, a career or business to run, a job or volunteer work at the school or hospice. There is potting, painting and candlestick making, a planet to attend to – or at least the teeny space of it we steward, and protests and petitions that ask for time and commitment. There is always food to make and bring. There are spaces to keep organized and clean, schedules to manage, friends to meet up with. We