Senior Living: How To Find The Best Senior Community

August 23, 2009

Finding the right Senior Living Community, also known as Assisted Living Facilities can be a challenging task if you’re unaware of what to look for. Senior Assisted Living can come in many forms, sizes and care types and it can be a good idea to try out a short term assisted Living, also know as a respite stay before making a lifestyle change. The list below are a few questions to ponder and ask before moving into any Assisted Living Community. Read more

Assisted Living San Francisco Bay Area, Ca

March 7, 2009

The Chateau of Pleasant Hill, California is a senior living community that offers assisted living, Alzheimer’s care, dementia care, home care and a whole host of senior care services.

Ruby MacDonald writes a monthly column in the Senior Insights Newsletter and it has become a favorite amongst the elderly residents who say that Ruby’s positive words and inspirations make them feel wonderful.

Ruby’s word for the day:

EMPOWERED LIVING   by  Ruby MacDonald                                                     

HOW WELL ARE YOU . . .   HEARING ?                                                                                          

Empowered living includes the use of our very important five senses. “Hearing” is one of those senses. It’s one fifth. For those who cannot hear, one-fifth of their senses are impaired.
I do not take hearing for granted because my hearing became impaired around midlife. I speak from experience when I say that not being able to hear easily causes many problems and changes in lifestyle. For instance, do you hesitate answering the phone? Or do you only use the phone when it’s an absolute necessity? Has your social life receded and slowly turned you into an introvert? Do you stay away from social gatherings because you can’t hear in a crowd?

Rush Limbaugh, the nationally syndicated radio talk show host, experienced a rapid loss of hearing and within three months he was deaf in one ear and had an 80% loss in the other. He could no longer understand radio, TV, or the voices of call-in listeners. He has a severe bi-laterial sensorineural hearing loss due to an autoimmune inner ear disease. AIED causes less than 1% of all cases of sensorineural hearing loss; most cases are due to aging, noise exposure, or inherited hearing loss and develop very gradually. Most patients respond to early treatment of steroids and benefit from the use of hearing aids; some need cochlear implants.

Today there is little or no excuse for anyone to be hearing impaired even though statistics show that most people with  hearing loss do nothing about it! A healthy, positive approach is to take charge of your hearing healthcare and find a way to hear as well as possible again. Nothing can be done until you admit you have a hearing loss.

Which type are you?  Do you consider your hearing “good enough” to get by on?”  It doesn’t matter that you force everyone to repeat nearly everything they say? Or, do you want to hear as well as possible?  I hope you cherish the latter and want to enjoy hearing to the fullest.

Here are a few empowering secrets to hearing: Wear hearing aids in one or both ears. Lipreading is helpful as a third hearing aid. There are telephone and TV amplifiers. Ask people to look at you and speak more slowly. In a group, always sit by a wall to block sounds.

Find a good audiologist, one recommended by a friend rather than selected at random from the phone book. They will evaluate your hearing and hearing needs

What Are You Creating Right Now? – Assisted Living Insights

January 31, 2009

WHAT ARE YOU CREATING RIGHT NOW?

“You create your thoughts, your thoughts create your intentions, and your intentions create your reality.”
Dr. Wayne Dyer

By Ruby MacDonald

For years I’ve been fascination by the human brain and its vast potential. First from a psychological v.p. & now from a spiritual view point, not in the religious sense, but in the more mystical/creative realm. I’m convinced that our ability to create begins in our brain; God created us to create. Creation begins with one tiny thought. It may come from within you, or someone else, and once you accept it as yours and begin to think about it, you’ve started the process of creation. The more emotion you have with that thought the more powerful is your ability to attract what you want. Once your brain gets the go-ahead from you, it springs into action and clicks in to perform your command perfectly. That is why it’s extremely important to be aware of your own thoughts and the words you say. Your brain doesn’t sort out positive from the negative; it waits for your command. It simply acts on your thought.
I’ve spent half of my life learning about and teaching how powerful the brain is and how important our thoughts are. When I was a kid I used to hear my father speak of the dreaded “evil eye” in his native Sicily. I snickered and thought it was a bunch of nonsense even though the stories made the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention. I’ve since learned about the power of the mind and believe that if I told you that something terrible was going to happen to you, and you believed me, YOU could make it happen simply by the power/energy/focus you give it; your own mind would work to carry out whatever you feared.
I believe that the power of the mind can also make us ill, or worse. One of my favorite examples of the power of suggestion is this one: During the winter months we are ambushed with news that the flu is epidemic. We’re sure we can’t escape it so we begin to worry. If we get the sniffles we’re certain we’ve got something that’s going around. We reinforce our fear by thinking that we have a cold, and we tell everyone who will listen. (It may have only been hay fever.) Next, we think we will be really sick, probably run a fever and by the end of the week we are certain we will be in bed vomiting or worse. Well, guess what? I believe that since we’ve programmed ourselves for a week full of illness— that is exactly what we will get. We’ve created it with our powerful minds. The brain has taken instructions and followed them exactly as we’ve prescribed it.
Arthritis is one of my pet peeves. If we break or sprain something doctors are quick to say arthritis will set in. My doc knows “I don’t do arthritis.” She snickers. I refer to it as the nasty “A” word. People take possession of arthritis as soon as they think they have it. I.E.: A younger friend’s fingers began aching; her mother had arthritis so she was certain she’d inherited it. (How many of us do that?) She took possession of it and referred to it as “my arthritis.” We had a little discussion and it “amazingly” disappeared! I believe strongly that it isn’t necessary to talk about any symptom or medical sentence your doctor has decreed for you. To acknowledge it is to reinforce it. Taking possession of it and making it yours only gives it permission to proceed. Once we start talking about it to others, it grabs that energy/power to accelerate. That energy can better be used to create positive thoughts of healing for yourself. Get the needed treatment. Then if you must tell someone, say, “I’m catching healing,” and let it go. You can tell those symptoms that they are not welcome in your body and to flee. You must believe it, however, and you must be persistent, for the habit of illness is like a child who pushes the envelope to see if you mean business.. It’s up to you to stick in there and show the old habit who is boss. It takes a while to break old habits and patterns, so don’t expect the symptoms to disappear quickly. Like a spoiled child who is suddenly being disciplined, there will be rebellion within. Remember to put lots of emotion behind your thoughts of healing and be persistent.
We are never too old or too sick or too busy, to have creative minds. We “create” every second of every day and it is either negative or positive —depleting energy or increasing energy.
We deplete our energy if we focus on a negative situation, be it our own or someone else’s. Our energy level plummets and a cloud of doom and gloom cloaks us. When we change our thought pattern to those that are sunny, energy levels are elevated to a healthier state; we are less vulnerable to illness & to attracting negative thinking people into our lives.. Thoughts are contagious. Choose wisely.

“As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and goodwill and serenity.” — James Allen 1864-1912 (note the dates—this is not “new age” enlightenment, but time-proven.)

Where did all the fun go? – Senior Living Insights

November 26, 2008

Where did all the fun go?

by Ruby MacDonald
Senior Living Insights

“In the true person, there is a child concealed who wants to come out and play – Nietzsche

When was the last time you had any fun?
It seems that kids are always having fun, no matter what they do, or where they are. They overflow with energy as though they are about to explode with it.  But as they grow older, day by day, year by year, the ability to have fun seems to decrease and for some adults, to completely disappear from their lives.  What happened to this all-important part of life?

Usually responsibility takes over. It makes us serious and so goal oriented that we forget what living really means..  Making a living – a necessity. A few enjoy the process while many others  have no options but to work at jobs they do not enjoy   In either case,  we still need to make time to have fun.

Fun serves many purposes. For kids, it teaches social and new skills, confidence, and creates laughter. It is a carefree time. Adults need  play so that they can relax, enjoy interaction with people and expand their horizons. Everyone needs laughter.

Many people think they are playing when they are competing. When in fact they are creating stress for themselves. So playing to win doesn’t quality as fun.  True playing doesn’t involve trying to impress or please other people; it isn’t measured by results, production or external rewards.  True fun is pure enjoyment that allows us to be totally present in the moment, and it includes moments of laughter, a good belly laugh. Here are a few quotes to ponder:
Laugh longer – live louder” -  “The purpose of fun is to have it.” -  “In the beginning, it was fun.” “A playful path is the shortest road to happiness.”  And one I especially like is: “For every Way there’s a Way of following that Way that’s fun.” Try the following to add more spice to your life.

Think of play as enjoying the simple things that give you instant emotional rewards.
Try new things to push your limits that are fun.
Allow your imagination to flow freely
Be anything and everything you dream of such  as a ballerina, an artist, etc. if only for a day or in your imagination
Engage with nature and its creatures
Be silly, playful, spontaneous and curious
Go to the senior center and sign up for a fun trip
Participate in a new activity that you haven’t tried before right where you live.
Try painting if you’ve always wanted to be an artist.- you don’t have to paint a perfect picture, all that is required is that you have fun and enjoy the process.
Read something you can completely get lost in.
Laugh – do something that makes you laugh.
Listen to music
Plant something or buy a new plant to enjoy.
Notice new things as you walk down the same streets
Watch a funny movie
And lastly, keep a daily journal and before retiring list one thing for which you are grateful;  one way you had fun and how many times you laughed..

“You can’t ever just sit back and let things happen. Never give in…Never, never think about your age, and keep occupied until the end.” – Mary Martin

Senior Living Insights By Ruby MacDonald

SEAS THE DAY WITH GRATITUDE – Senior Living Insights

November 25, 2008

SEAS THE DAY WITH GRATITUDE    - Senior Living Insights                        

“A day without gratitude is like a day without sunshine.”

 

Today the sky is a lovely cobalt blue, a welcome change from the rains. Fluffy white clouds tease the sun. The horizon is a less vivid color as it dips down into the Coral Sea here on the north eastern coast of Australia. I’m sitting on the deck of a catamaran watching the dark blue waves that barely hint at white caps. We’re cruising along at ten knots and all is well.  Life is good. We utter a silent prayer of gratitude.

 

Gratitude! Such a powerful word. This word is a potent tool for life when we remember to focus on it. Oh, it’s easy to focus on gratitude on a perfect day such as this one when my mind is peaceful; I’m comfortable, healthy and well fed.

 

But what about those days when a persistent wind whips our sails or the seas are so choppy it’s difficult to find our sea legs – or the engines fail to fire up in the face of an approaching cyclone?

 

Even on land everyone has days like those. They seem to multiply as we grow into being more “seasoned adults.” But when we shift our focus from gratitude for all that’s right about our lives and focus on all that is not so right, often the sea of life becomes too rough to handle. It is then that thoughts of gratitude seem to have sunk to the bottom of the sea and the desire to be thankful for what fate has handed us is locked tight in Davey’s locker.

 

The sixty four dollar question then, is, “How can I focus on the positive things in my life when it feels as though I’ve drowned in my own problems?”  Changing our thought pattern is simple but not easy—since the way we think is a habit and habits are not easy to break. But the good news is that since thoughts are a habit, we can start a new habit—a new way of thinking. Use the methods outlined below, and stick with it for the entire month. These new habits will enrich your life and help develop an attitude of gratitude.

 

1. The first thought of negativity that sneaks into your mind must be speared as soon as possible so it doesn’t spread its tentacles like an octopus and render you helpless. A thought, (what you think ) is one of the most powerful, invisible, weapons (tools) in the world. Doubt me? Think about how Hitler’s powerful thoughts/words contaminated the world.  On the positive side, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale influenced thousands, perhaps millions of people including me, with his book, The Power of Positive Thinking. It all started with a thought. Dr. Wayne Dyer, a modern day motivational teacher of wisdom, says that we become what we think about all day long, and the Bible warned us to be careful what we ask for (it is a thought first). A thought alone is as powerful as asking for something with words. Think of it as a seed. As soon as energy is given to any thought it sprouts, and like a pesky weed, will spread its roots and grow.
2. Take charge of your thoughts and words. Remember, thoughts are powerful tools and you are in control of them. Many us allow our thoughts to sail through our minds with no controls. Yet we surely wouldn’t get into a boat that had no captain, engine (sails), no rudder, or wheel, and let the sea joust us about and be at the mercy of the seas Yet that is exactly what many of us do with our lives when we don’t control our thoughts.
3. Have your ammunition at hand. We must have constructive thoughts ready to push out and replace the first negative/destructive thoughts that enter.. Usually negative thoughts stir in the morning as soon as we wake up. Old habits have been lying beside us all night and they get up with us. It’s up to us to usher them out or invite them to stay. There are several kinds of ammunition that will replace those destructive thoughts while we break the old thought-patterns:
   1. Bible verses to read or saying those you have memorized
   2. Being in a state of gratitude first thing in the morning and before sleeping
   3. Prayers of affirmation and gratitude
   4. Reading inspirational magazines and books to keep your mind focused on the positive side of life.
   5. Listening to tapes, CDs of inspirational speakers
   6. Making a nightly list of at least five things for which you are grateful each day.
   7. Taking a quiet time each day to consciously focus on gratitude.
   8. Hanging out with positive people. “You gotta accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative,” to quote from an old song.

 

1. BE GRATEFUL.  No matter what the day brings, work at being grateful about the many things that are still good in your life.  Write “GRATITUDE” on your mirror or paper to constantly remind you until GRATITUDE becomes an automatic habit.

 

                              “Serving your mind a dose of gratitude is like a multivitamin for your body.”

 Senior Living Insights

The Art of Ruby MacDonald and The Secret To Happiness

November 18, 2008

The Artwork of Ruby MacDonald

Ruby MacDonald’s Art
GRATITUDE

HAPPINESS

“The door to a balanced success opens widest on the hinges of hope and encouragement.” – Zig Ziglar

In December, our family was involved in the Manos de Amor shelter in Bucerias, Nayarit.  We helped to collect money to buy much needed clothing plus toys for a few of what, in Mexico, are sometimes referred to as “children of the dump.”  There are many reasons why children are left, such as one or both parents being in prison, abandonment or mother has died, domestic violence and abuse, alcohol-drug abuse, neglect, poverty, divorce/separation, emigration to the USA, and more. You name it and it will probably apply to these children.

There are twelve children in this particular temporary shelter, which is run mostly by volunteer help. In the near future, the construction of the Manos de Amor (Hands of Love) Orphanage will begin, thanks to the efforts of a few American expatriates and Mexican women. These tireless women have and still hold a myriad of benefits to raise the money for this building. They donate much time, effort and hard work, plus keep an enduring attitude of enthusiasm and determination.  The ages of the twelve children range from 3 years up to ten. An invalid wheelchair bound boy, 10, should be in an institution where he can be properly cared for; he is a drug child who cries out for attention.  Three blond siblings, have an American mother and a Mexican father.  A beautiful curly haired girl, three, has dark eyes that shine with happiness even though she is one of those who has been recently dumped. It is indeed sad and tears your heart out. Yet if you saw most of these children on the street, playing like other children, you’d see smiles and happiness on their faces.  And we have to ask, How is this so? Are they born with an attitude of gratitude towards life that keeps them smiling?”

We have visited Mexico many times throughout the years as we do now, and my observation is that, generally, not only the children but also the adults , seem like happy people. Their eyes shine, their smiles are wide, their laughter robust and from the heart, as they toil in the hot sun to earn a meager living. Perhaps they sometimes gripe and complain but I have not gotten that impression while I am here. They seem to live in an attitude of gratitude rather than feel sorry for themselves or resent the cards they have been dealt.

By contrast, we in America, for the most part, have so much more for which we could live in an attitude of gratitude yet many of us grumble and complain about minuscule things daily. Or we focus on the not so great part of our lives instead of elevating the greatest part. Our focus and  attitude tilt out of balance. We lack an attitude of gratitude for all that is right in our lives. And even when all is not so great, if we take time to sort it out, we will still find much that is right. How we think is habit and effects our health and shapes our lives, so again, as in the past, I suggest the following to make the year 2007 bright and joyful in the midst of our unique circumstances.

Keep a gratitude journal; write at least 5 things every day for which you are grateful.
Do an attitude check on yourself every morning, noon and night.
Never go to sleep with negativity on your mind. If you can’t shake it, pray or meditate and give thanks to your Higher Power for something that is right in your life.
Remember to forgive people. Resentments equal negative attitudes and ill health.
Help someone everyday, especially new residents who need to feel welcome.

“A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit; nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree is known by the fruit it bears.”  Or in my words, “we become what we think about all day long.”

“You gotta live every day like it’s your last” -Frank Sinatra – Senior Living Insights

November 17, 2008

“You gotta live every day like it’s your last because one day you’ll be right.” Frank Sinatra

While Tom and I, Tim and Suz and friends were moored off the New Zealand coast one evening, listening to my all time favorite, Frank Sinatra singing many of his popular hits, we made a point of listening carefully to the lyrics. We found that they contained some pretty wonderful messages for our lives that triggered a lively discussion. Ole Blue Eyes may be gone but his spirit certainly is alive in our daily lives through his music.  As you read these words, think about them and what they either do or can mean to you personally.

IF YOU’RE YOUNG AT HEART
Fairy tales can come true
It can happen to you
If you’re young at heart
For its hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If you’re young at heart

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart or on its way

Don’t you know that it’s worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are its much better by far
To be young at heart

And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you’ll derive out of being alive
Then here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart. – (Music:Joseph Myrow, Lyrics: Mack Gordon 1946)

We asked everyone aboard what they thought it meant to be “young at heart” and thus this month’s column was born.

First of all, let’s begin by discussing what it means when we don’t stay young at heart:  All too often we focus on the number of years we’ve lived and give the number permission to dominate our lives, either by mimicking aging role models, or living by preconceived ideas about aging that society has handed to us.  It’s easy to forget that times change and today we are far younger than our parents were in their aging years.  If we do focus on the number of years we’ve lived, too often we use our age as an excuse to get stuck in one time zone and live in the past. Or we think we’re much too old to do certain things such as dressing more youthfully, trying a new hair style and since we’re simply afraid to try new things, we limit/deprive ourselves of being young at heart. We stop dreaming. We get stuck. Fairy tales fade away.

“For its hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind, If you’re young at heart”

On the other hand, those who remain young at heart seldom use their age as an excuse. If anything, they use their age as a springboard because they know it’s now or never and they’d better get with the program if they’re going to have fairy tales come true. They live each day to the fullest—as though it’s the last, as ole Blue Eyes said.

Those who are young at heart are not afraid to risk doing something new and different, whether it is a new card game, traveling to an unfamiliar place, or ordering something new on the menu. Or perhaps it’s a new trendy hairstyle, or daring to have our hair colored (men and women), or wearing a bright new color that makes us look alive and ready to explore life.

To be young at heart is to be limitless – that is, there are no limits set, no boundaries to which you will not cross because of fear, or risk, or age.

The young at heart feel ageless. They don’t look in the mirror and concentrate on the road map that has planted itself on their faces. They are proud of their wrinkles, knowing they’ve worked darned hard to earn them. Instead they look in the mirror and see a face that has sparkling eyes, smile lines, and a mind filled with positive attitudes that nourish a sense of enduring adventure. They still buy green bananas.

The young at heart are timeless. They don’t make plans according to the number of years they’ve lived. Their time-line is open. They can bend. They are open-ended to new ideas as the times change, and know that change is what life on this planet is all about.

The young at heart aren’t afraid to dream. They set realistic goals and watch them come true, one at a time. They know that they must have something to look forward to each day, something that is filled with hope for tomorrow. It may be as small as knitting a scarf for someone, or as large as taking a trip to a place they’ve always wanted to see on the other side of the world, or in the next town, or in the garden. There are no size restrictions to dreams and we can have any kind and as many as we want. So what are you waiting for?

Fairy tales can come true. It can happen to you – if you’re young at heart.

GOOD NEWS! The New Life Of Senior Assisted Living San Francisco, CA Discovers GOOD NEWS!

November 15, 2008

Being fet up with all the bad news reported in the news lately, I decided to go on the web today and type “Good News” into google and lo and behold I found a whole bunch of it. I started ‘The New Life’ out today by saying, “I have some good news for you today!” I could feel their emmediate inner glow of excitement. I sat down and started reading a headline, “Volunteer Greeters Offer Hugs, Applause For Troops”. Basically there is a group out there that goes to Bangor International Airforce Base every time a plane of troops come home from their tours of duty in Iraq, to give applause and handshakes. How beautiful we all reacted. This set the tone for a marvelous dicussion about giving yourself over to a cause greater than one’s self. Residents shared their stories about what they have passionately given time and money towards. Resident, Jenny Murphy shared how she started the Pleasant Hill Senior Community Center many years ago and how over the years of enthusiastically giving to her vision, today it has become a thriving center where seniors go to have fun, while engaging with like-minded people.

The New Life always ends singing, “Oh what a beautiful morning….”

Please join us! Saturdays at 9:45 at the Chateau Pleasant Hill

2770 Pleasant Hill Rd
Pleasant Hill, Ca 94523
(877) 468-9773

AGELESS – Senior Insight

November 5, 2008

AGELESS – REALITY OR MYTH?

By: Ruby MacDonald

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. – unknown

For the last few decades I’ve been teaching people how to think in a way that keeps them feeling ageless. And now, suddenly my friends and I have all become seniors. And that’s a good thing! Being a senior demands that we learn to flow with the tide or we shall drown in the sea of life. Some of my friends who are not yet seniors are also struggling in the waters of change as an only child, or children, swim away from the warm sands of home to find their new adventures. Then the parents must learn to walk the beach alone. My older friends experience the death of a loved one, divorce, illness, moving to a new community to be near adult children, and the list of changes we must face are endless. We’ve always gone through changes at every age but somehow in these golden years, the waters we wade in seem deeper.

Most of the major changes create high stress levels. However, change is the name of the game of life. Whether we can adjust to the many changes is what determines whether or not we will become “aged” or “ageless.” Given the choice, becoming and staying AGELESS is the ideal goal. Too many of us seem to reach a certain age and then never again venture into the oceans of life. Yet the ocean still beacons to us to jump in and swim.

Of course, circumstances change over the years and our health may in reality slow us down or even stop us from being as active as we once were. However, what we do with our attitude about any circumstance is totally up to each of us. Fortunately there are many who never see any limitations to living a full life. One of my favorite people who exhibited strength and courage was Christopher Reeves who not only fought to live life as fully as he could, but also helped others while doing so. He could have given up, felt sorry for himself and created misery for all those who loved him, but he displayed courage and determination instead.

Helen Keller, being both blind and deaf had more to overcome than most of us, but she said that, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” She didn’t include an age limit in her statement, and we should not set age limits to our quest for adventure. She knew that her character would be formed and strengthened by surmounting the difficulties she faced.

WE ARE THE MASTER, EVEN IN OUR WEAKEST AND MOST ABANDONED STATE – James Allen

There are so many advantages to being a senior. Yet we seldom hear the positive side. Let me name a few. By this time we don’t care anymore what people say or think about us. We’ve earned the right to be us and we don’t have to meet the expectations of others. We can simply relax and be. We don’t have to “do” unless we want to. As someone wisely said, we are not human do-ings, we are “human be-ings.” But we often forget to take the time to simply BE. Seniors have more time to BE.

Another advantage of being an AGELESS Senior is that we can “BE” an inspiration to others. We can help drown the old myth that being a senior is the end of life and that we can’t keep doing many of the enjoyable things we’ve always done. The only thing that stops us is fear and an attitude that shouts that we can’t or shouldn’t at “our age.” To become or stay AGELESS, you’ve got to want it – you’ve got to have the passion – if you are to change.

Lasting changes need a strong foundation on which to thrive. Just as the oceans rest on firm bed- rock, our strength comes from being firmly centered in a Higher Power. To become or remain  AGELESS in today’s world requires a vigilant guard against the myths of aging that surround and nag at us.  In the end, it’s up to each one of us to decide whether we will be “aged” and let the last precious years of life slip by, or be AGELESS, ignore the number of years of we’ve lived, and find new adventures to pursue so that life is exciting and stimulating. The choice is ours. January first is an excellent time to commit to an AGELESS ATTITUDE, renewing that commitment every single morning. What would you like to be doing right now that you’ve allowed your age and attitude to stop you?

“HOLD FAST TO an ageless attitude FOR IF the spirit dies, LIFE is nothing more than a boat at sea that cannot navigate the oceans of life; it is at the mercy of the wind and waves.” – Ruby MacDonald