Silence is the strength of our interior life. If we fill our lives with silence, then we live in hope.
~ Thomas Merton with thanks to Susan Bower
Elders and mentors have an irreplaceable function in the life of any community. Without them the young are lost -- their overflowing energies wasted in useless pursuits. The old must live in the young like a grounding force that tames the tendency toward bold but senseless actions and shows them the path of wisdom.