Barb has a WELLth of knowledge (6 photos)
Thursday, November 01, 2012 by: Connie Carello
At 86 years of age, Barb Griffin (pictured) has a WELLth of knowledge.
For this very reason, she was the recent recipient of the WELLthy Woman of the Year award, a campaign presented by LIFEforia Wellness Club.
The organization supports overall wellness mentally and physically in its inspiring motto: “We support WELLthy living, living to the highest potential, sharing in happiness, peace, love and purpose.”
Offering a variety of services which include fitness classes, wellness treatments, and clinic services such as chiropractic, acupuncture and meditation, LIFEforia focuses on improving the entire wellness of a member, inside out.
The comfortable ambiance and quiet atmosphere can be comparable to a tranquil retreat from the everyday commotion and routine.
With a strong sense of community established amongst the members, LIFEforia recognizes the various different life experiences women may have and the lessons they can provide other women facing similar situations.
“Every month we provide members with nomination forms and encourage them to share their stories because really no one lives a charmed life. Everyone has their own special life workbook and they can be your teacher. We have members who are cancer survivors who are thriving and vibrant, members who are experiencing empty-nest syndrome, depression, and they have knowledge in these areas that they can pass on to others,” owner Tina Colizza said.
“This very much has been my dream - to have women helping other women, loving and serving is our mission at LIFEforia, and we can all help someone,” Colizza added.
Griffin, a member who visits LIFEforia every second day for classes, decided to submit her poem, A Senior’s Reflection on Self, in June of last year.
The opening line of her poem says it all: “The me that is me, is not the me that you see. The me that is me, is not wrinkled or worn.”
Now a volunteer at an animal shelter and an avid traveller who will be going to Florida next month, Griffin proves to be an adventurous woman who will not be held captive by her age.
“For me, the poem really was about telling people that even though I may have aged on the outside, I still feel the same in the inside. I am still me and I am still eager to learn, try new things. I am still eager to grow,” she smiled.
Having numerous different careers throughout the years, Griffin is an example of an ambitious woman, who experienced her own challenges and pressed on.
After losing her husband of 56 years, Griffin spent her share of time in what she refers to as the “grieving room.”
In a speech reflecting her experience at LIFEforia, Griffin wrote: “The best place for you to go next is the adventure room. You don’t have to be an Evel Conevel of climb a mountain. Just be brave, get out there, meet people; join a club; get involved in charity work, take an interesting course, start a new hobby… or, do as I did and join LIFEforia Wellness Club. It has done wonders for me and I would heartily recommend it for any woman of any age.”
As a retired retail sales clerk, secretary, teacher, and traffic manager at a radio station, Griffin speaks to a variety of different life experiences that have molded and shaped her into the woman she is.
“She is an amazing woman. She embodied the purpose of the award which was to be an incredible woman who has contributed to bringing of wellness to the community, the workplace, their friendships, and their homes,” Colizza said.
Concluding her poem with the following line: “The me that is real, is the me that I feel,” Griffin is an example not only to the sisterhood that exists within the walls of LIFEforia but to all.
Congratulations Barb!
For more information about LIFEforia Wellness Club, please click here.
