In the circle of life, the elders bring forth the power of wisdom & the experience of life. As we face life, we confront numerous challenges. We are very fortunate to have elders around us who can help us chart our inner territory. The ancient Mexican had a special word to define the wisdom that flourishes in the later years of our life. They called it “chipotle”. This particular word, aside from meaning personal wisdom, it also means “Bump in the head”. Disabilities confront us with still additional challenges. To overcome them, our elders can draw from the depths of their experiences of living. And the courage that they have acquired in the walk of life. One of the dynamics of a young person is to have a vision that will sustain them in their journey. Our elders have gone beyond the vision, they have realities. The final stage of growth, the one of the elders, would not be complete with out them sharing their stories, and their “bumps on their heads” (chipotle), with the younger generations. That is why culturally, storytelling has been an essential component in the role of the elders in every living community. These connections between the elders and the younger generations have also been represented by the unity of the colors black and red. Black representing the night, red representing the bright sun. Passion without knowledge leads us nowhere. Knowledge without passion is not fruitful either. In order to address the disability of some of our elders, it is essential that the other components of the circle do their part, as not only helpers or caretakers, but also as students of the elder’s wisdom.

In closing, I want to leave you with the words of an ancient Mexican King, who said, “ It is our will that grants us wings to fly over the obstacles of life”.