Contest Winners - The Age of Elegance - 1ST PLACE WINNER of the Age of Elegance Writing Contest

Lois White is married and the mother of two grown children and two less than grown up dogs. A veteran eldercare professional of more than 25 years, she’s passionate about recognizing the need for dignified and compassionate care for the individuals who bore and nurtured this boomer generation; the individuals who helped us sow the seeds of change we have seen since the 1960s. Her affiliations include MASS ALFA, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Alliance for a New Humanity. She is currently working on a fictional piece about family relationships and has completed a professional manual for writing poetry for individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease.

The Age of Elegance - 1ST PLACE WINNER of the Age of Elegance Writing Contest

The “Age of Elegance” is all about confidence. Not the confidence of youth with its innocent arrogance but a confidence born of seasoning, experience, of having been challenged time and time again, coming out on the other end stronger and maybe just a bit wiser. This a confidence imbued with elegance, a confidence not sullied by self-righteousness, hidden agendas, or ego. 

The face of elegant confidence wears a map of the life it has lived and is beautiful in whatever paths are imprinted there. “Elegance” cares not if the surface be soft or leathery, smooth or creped in soft folds. “Elegance” is the person behind that face, the person possessing the grace and understanding born of relationships, the keeping and losing, old friends and new, loyalty and betrayal.

Things are less important than people in the “Age of Elegance.” Engagement in the act of living far surpasses the need to appear perfect. “Elegance” doesn’t expect those she loves to be perfect and doesn’t impose her opinions on them, instead finding ways to help them discover what they already knew but couldn’t identify. “Elegance” will disagree with you but will take no delight in the disagreement, delivering the message with love and tact. “Elegance” will challenge you in contests and celebrate with you when you succeed, without being envious. “Elegance” will support you when you are down and not feel superior. “Elegance” will admit to being wrong when she doesn’t get it right, with remorse and without the burden of guilt to weigh her down. “Elegance” will seize opportunities to have fun, to be silly, to try new things and not worry about appearing foolish. “Elegance” loves to laugh. “Elegance” isn’t afraid to cry. “Elegance” concerns herself with living life by her code of ethics rather than the opinions of others yet is open to new insight into her personality.

The “Age of Elegance” is about having the confidence to recognize and honor both humanity and divinity in ourselves and others equally.