Welcome

NOW WHAT?/WHAT NOW?

What: An informal support group for seniors as they reflect on their new identities as persons whose
lives are necessarily changing as “The Calendar” brings new challenges, new perspectives, new
limitations and, most important, new opportunities.

Why: Life brings changes to all of us. Roles, activities and responsibilities that gave us satisfaction
and identify–or difficulty–fade away, opening opportunities for new engagements that satisfy our
needs for community, spirituality and exploration. Sometimes those changes also bring limitations–
physical, mental and logistical–that require personal re-orientation and creative thinking. Although
each of us experiences these things alone, exploring them with others often develops perspectives
that we might not easily achieve otherwise.

Who: We hope to attract individuals served by Little Falls Village and nearby areas. We are
especially interested in those who are fully retired, especially those whose responsibilities and roles
have changed, leaving them with new questions about how they are finding meaning in their lives.

• We propose to begin a group with 8 to 12 members; the conversational format becomes
difficult/impossible with more. (But: we realize that not everyone will attend every time and that
membership will be volatile.)
• We hope to seed the group with a core membership of 3 or 4 individuals who will commit to a 1
year of participation to stabilize the group initially.
• Also, while we intend to meet in person, we might also try a Zoom version if enough people
need or want that format but only after the in-person approach is “road tested”.

How: The “What Now?” group will meet twice monthly in a comfortable setting and simply engage in
conversation. Conversation will start with a topic, suggested by a Convenor, which the group will
“Structure” as it unfolds. And, the group will surface its own topics, as well. This is not a class with a
curriculum but an opportunity for collective reflecting and sharing of views and experiences from which
all will learn.

For illustration, some sample topics:
• What do I want my legacy to be?
• I feel like I’m wasting precious time: Should I feel guilty?
• I thought “A” about retirement but I’m getting “B”, “C” and “D”
• I was always a straight A student: How do I get an “A” in being old?

• I have always wanted to (fill in the blank)....what goes in the BLANK?
• I used to think (blank) but now things look different. Fight, flight or adapt?
• Loss is an ugly word but I’m feeling it everywhere. How can I keep going?

We think that mid-day or afternoon meetings will be most convenient for the intended audience.
Resources: Little Falls Village will co-sponsor the group; it will provide visibility in the (monthly) LFV
newsletter and help to identify resource persons to interact supportively with the group on occasion.
Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church will provide a comfortable meeting space and hospitality, as well
as convenors for the group.