Mom started attending class last month, on Zoom, at age eighty-five. She knew nothing about tai chi, and not much about technology, but after three months on lock-down alone in a condo, she knew that she needed to “get moving”. She has been a great addition to our Tuesday morning group, and when we chat on the phone about politics, family, and now tai chi, she has many perceptive questions. We gave her the TCA DVD for Mother’s Day to supplement my instruction, and she likes to “spend half an hour with Dr. Lam” most days. During the crisis, she has also enjoyed sixty-two operas, made custom masks for my large family, and attends four online church services a week.
My Mom Eleanor is not an exception; she and her peers are called the “Greatest Generation” for a reason. Eleanor was born the oldest of four children into a troubled family and straightened circumstances during the Great Depression. She lost a half-brother in combat during World War II and spent most of her years toiling to provide a better life for her beloved husband and four children, her church and her community. She graduated from college Summa Cum Laude at age fifty-three, and in her sixties, learned to play piano and studied sign-language and Russian. Eleanor is a remarkable person, like many of her generation.
My Mom’s response to the current crisis is one story of resilience and resolve. The Spring 2020 newsletter features six USTCC members rising to the unprecedented challenges of these difficult times. Despite the suffering, our members are innovating in their teaching and practice to bring the healing power of tai chi to their communities. Enjoy reading their stories and the silver linings that they have found!
If you would like to share your story, please consider making a submission to our newsletter at editor@ustcc.org.
Spring 2020 Newsletter Articles
- Tai Chi Practice in the Era of COVID-19 by Tom Quirk.
- Tai Chi for Caregivers by Wendy Fambro.
- From a Point in Florida by Sue Huseman.
- Finding Silver Linings by Dean S. Uyeno.
- Tai Chi & the Anatomical Kinetic Chain by Denise Murray.
- Who’s Zooming Who? by Kate McKee.