Women ages 50 to 87 joined together for a wine and cheese tasting menu accompanied by facilitated conversation around what it means to age well.
Positive aging coaching firm Glowing Older partnered with The Polo Club of Boca Raton on their first Better with Age event. Coordinated by The Polo Club’s Director of Spa and Fitness, Eric Wilkinson, and Glowing Older co-founder and Principal Guide, Katherine Lord, MSW, the event featured three wine and cheese courses interspersed with conversations around what it means to age well. While enjoying the libations and cuisine, the audience of thirty women, ages 50 to 87, participated in thought-provoking conversations about aging —including debunking common aging myths and planning for a vital and vibrant future.
“Our members loved the immersive experience that bridged education and enjoyment of aged wine and cheese with the conversations about our life journey. Our Sommelier, Gregory McLoughlin, went above and beyond—not only educating about the wines, but featuring the aging journey of the wine makers themselves,” said Wilkinson. “The event was a means to connect, reflect, and learn about ourselves and the paths we choose to take. May all of us here at The Polo Club of Boca Raton get Better with Age!”
Of particular resonance with the audience were the facilitated discussion on ageism and the introspective exercise on core values. As Katherine illustrated in the presentation, ageism exists on a global scale, from images portrayed in the media, to slogans such as “anti-aging” on beauty products. Bringing awareness of these overt and covert messages helped eventgoers re-evaluate their own perceptions of aging, often influenced by outside sources.
The core values exercise is designed to help participants identify the central pillars of their lives that have dictated their choices and perspectives. Often, people are unaware of their core values, but have been subconsciously embedding them in their lives. This exercise helps individuals to discern what are those things that matter most to them and offers an opportunity to visualize how they could be integrated into a life plan for aging well.
“I am so inspired by the willingness of our event guests to not only seek out this information but be so open to absorbing it,” shares Katherine Lord. “The intimate nature of the program allows for people to engage in personal discernment about their own aging journeys alongside friends and fellow community members. As I tell the participants, my only goal is to help people perhaps think a little differently about aging. I love getting the feedback that we’ve done just that!”
Glowing Older is hosting subsequent Better with Age events at several other venues in the coming months. In addition to these events, Glowing Older will provide one-on-one coaching to older adults and adult children with aging loved ones to help navigate the complexities and opportunities in creating life plans.
Visit https://www.glowingolder.com/events for information on hosting your own Better with Age event!