I fell 'victim' to this quote yesterday. Me, of all people. She who forever promotes self-awareness, thoughtfulness and optimism, 'penalized' for a moment of slackness.

It was like this, you see. I was, one of 500 or more delegates at a conference, quietly keeping to myself when the young woman next to me started to spit, spew and splutter. Immediately my heart sank, my hand went over my mouth and nose, my body turned impolitely away and before I knew it I was cursing my bad luck at an impending head cold.

And so thought, so it is!

Here I sit, not so quietly sniveling my way through this article -- but not, as you might imagine, feeling sorry for myself. Oh, it would have been easy to do that. To give in to the weaknesses of the body, to linger in the doldrums of a wet Sunday afternoon. To put off getting this newsletter out on time. After all, what are Sundays for, if not to relax and take things easy.

That’s what I had started to do when I spotted an article by a neighbour friend in the local community newspaper.

This woman is truly amazing. A wonder woman of no mean proportion. She’s an inspiration to us all. She stands all of four foot-six inches tall, gnarled over her walker, head askew to meet you face to face, eyes all of a twinkle.

Life wasn’t always thus. She often tells the story of how her father, realizing the kind of woman she was to be, shipped her off to the UK just before WWII 'because Germany isn’t big enough for the two of you!' She’s done amazing things with her life. Been instrumental in establishing long-term healthcare in a rural community, 'adopted' villages of children in Mexico, and to this day regularly, as she puts it, gathers together 'the elderly and the infirm' to celebrate life. Accomplishments any one of us would be proud of; even more so when we consider this octogenarian ‘s health and history.

And she hasn’t done all this on her own. While she was a pioneer at the outset, as her health diminished she connected with others, tapping into their desires, strengths and energy to make a difference for all. Her mind’s as sharp as a tack, ever aware of the subtleties of tone, the nuances of life. Always ready to meet in your reality, not hers.

While it is said 'the body is the servant of the mind', and today mine all but proved it so, this neighbour is one powerful demonstration that while the body may betray the mind, the mind, when joined with the spirit, knows no bounds.