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BTN Spotlight: Georgi Marquisee with “Families of the World”

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Georgi Marquisee Georgi Marquisee has a long and respected background with her husband, Mark, in the field of documentary films. For over 30 years, she has served as President of Arden Media, with clients like PBS, Sesame Street, Montessori Society and the EPA, and has won hundreds of awards. I originally met Georgi and Mark on a trip to China when they were doing a People-to-People project. Their creativity and passion for the culture, its people, and the travel experience was evident in their completed documentary.

In the 1990’s, combining their interest in education, travel and culture, Georgi and Mark began to develop “Families of the World,” a series for children, documenting family life around the globe. Their goal was to help children to experience family life in other parts of the world through film. According to Georgi, “Many children rarely see their world beyond their own city. Even travel doesn’t take them behind closed doors. Our project takes them inside so that it is almost like being there!”

While retaining their ‘day in a life’ structure, Georgi and Mark felt it was important to add an environmental element. “Kids need to know people are working on the effects of global warming and other environmental concerns,” she commented. Each film focuses on a different culture as seen in foods, homes, schools, communities, and fun-filled activities of two families in each country, through a typical day. Children have the opportunity to see what people all over the world are doing to protect the earth. Films include families of India, Mexico, Ghana, Korea, Costa Rica and Colorado. Each scenario is narrated by children – with whom the younger audience can relate.

Thank you, Georgi, for educating our children on the world, its different cultures and ways of life, and the importance of our earth’s environmental concerns. Available on DVD and streaming. To learn more about current and new programs, go their website.

Confidence Begins at an Early Age and The Sky is the Limit!

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Looking back at my childhood, I was blessed. Both my mother and father raised me to believe in myself at a very early age. When I had moments of doubts during the challenging teenage years, my parents were there to support me, but always insisted that I make my own decisions and take charge of solving whatever was the setback of the moment. As I got older, it was my dad who consistently reminded me that, when it came to my choice of livelihoods, “the sky is the limit!” He encouraged me to look for a career for which I had passion and alleged that I could do most anything.

It is thanks to Mom and Dad’s reassuring push, that I departed confidently, ready to face the world on my own, and I followed my dad’s advice with my choices. I had a belief in myself with a strong desire to find exciting work and had some amazing opportunities throughout my years! Although I didn’t always pick the job with the most money, I chose what I loved to do, finding that most of my jobs filled my purpose of helping others.

Now, that I’m in my Baby Boomer years, I have found my confidence being reassessed. At this stage of life, I have felt at an impasse. I have the knowledge, experience, and still have the energy and desire to serve a purpose of helping others and have wanted to start something new. Yet, I am pondering, “Am I too old for this?” “Can I do this?” “Will I be successful?”

Then, I read about Ginette Bedard, the 86-year-old NYC Marathon runner, and Robina Asti, the 99-year-old flight instructor and active pilot. Both of these women continued to do what they loved, and age was not a factor! Why can’t I continue to pursue my goal? Thanks to examples like Ginette and Robina, I am off and running once again, unafraid “to reach for the sky!”

So, yes, Dad, you were right, “the sky is the limit.” Or as Maura Beatty wisely advised, “What keeps you from believing that the universe is yours? Reach out, embrace it. The sky is the limit! So, get your bag, get your stuff, and head for the stars…I’ll meet you out there!”

Holidays Are Veiled By Pandemic, What CAN You Do?

Holidays Are Veiled By Pandemic, What CAN You Do? Part 3

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by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

As a senior, my daughter has worried about my safety regarding a visit with the children who have been in school. As a grandmother, I have worried about the safety of my children’s visit due to my every-day whereabouts and choices. The biggest fear for all of us is, will I get my loved ones sick without knowing I might be carrying the virus?

After much discussion, our family has decided to get together at their home and have agreed to follow the “rules” for a safe, smaller gathering.

In my wildest thoughts, I never imagined life as it has been for these past months. But looking beyond all the stresses and challenges of the times, these are the days when we must feel the spirit of gratitude and joy as we celebrate family, friendship, and togetherness. Whatever venue each family chooses, it is important to not lose the focus for that which the holiday truly represents. Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you CAN do. Be creative and make the best of it and, above all, be thankful for each other.

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What Remains the Same

Holidays Are Veiled By Pandemic, What Remains the Same? Part 2

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by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

We, as women, are the big planners. The holidays are a time that we joyously plan ahead with decorating, creating festive menus, arranging travel and visiting accommodations, and shopping, gifting and wrapping. This year, however, we are in limbo and the normal course has been thrown into frenzy, laced with anxiety and unknowns. Our 2020 plans totally hinge on the status of the Covid virus. The big question is: Do we stay home? If the choice is to stay at home, what will the menus in each household be? At the request of my children, (who live 3 hours away), is there a way to make and send my mother’s traditional, Southern, cornbread stuffing? (This has been a staple in our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for over 60 years.)

If the choice is to get together, the strategy encompasses Covid testing (for all attendees), revisiting and possibly revising the small guest list, (who can be trusted to follow the safety rules), masking, social distancing during meal prep and visits, safe-distancing table or outdoor seating arrangements, and safe, protected accommodations. Whew! What traditions will you carry on? What remains the same?

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Holidays Are Veiled By Pandemic, What Has Changed? Part 1

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by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

I just spent an afternoon on Zoom with some positive-thinking, Baby Boomer women friends of mine, catching up on various topics, laughing, and telling stories. This is what we have learned to do during these unfortunate Covid months of isolation. I have learned to amend my former life of girl-friend lunches, wine get-togethers, and home-visits to occasional on screen social calls… thanks to today’s marvelous technology of Zoom and FaceTime. We seem to be managing it fairly well during this ill-fated period.

Of these friends, some are widowed, some are divorced and a few are with spouses or partners. We all have in common our children and grand children, whom we have seen very little of – if any – over these past eight months of the Pandemic. And when the question surfaced at the end of our chat this week, what is each of you doing for the holidays? the vein got more serious. During a time of year when planning ahead is full of anticipation and fun, most of us were unsure of what to propose or expect going forward with Holiday Season 2020. Is there more? How do I move forward?

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What Have You Learned

Unmasking Your Vision For What’s Next – Part 4

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What Have You Learned?  by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

As I’ve moved through my own growth during this pandemic, I wanted to see how other women, similar to myself, were surviving and dealing with this disconcerting state of affairs. I drew up a compilation of diverse, Baby Boomer women and emailed a simple questionnaire. They, too, had been pondering similar questions and, in many cases, had internalized them. This was an opportunity for each to openly communicate her thoughts and feelings toward these months of the necessary but inconvenient lockdown.

Each woman was asked to write the first thoughts that came to mind.

Question: In one sentence, what have you learned about yourself?

With this question, 97% learned something positive from their experiences. These lessons included: I learned how to enjoy my own company; I will not take advantage of freedom ever again; I can adapt when necessary; I must stay stimulated and engaged with new things; I can depend on using my creativity and resourcefulness; I can learn to go with the flow; I know I need to let go of that which I have no control; I will work to remain positive and look for the brighter side of life; I need to do more acts of kindness; I can overcome my anxiety through mindfulness; I am stronger than I thought.

These results, on the most part, did not surprise me. We, as women who have lived 55 or more years of life, have dealt with many a challenge. Some of us have faced divorce, lost loved ones, lost jobs, combatted illnesses, and taken care of others in need — to name just a few of life’s ordeals. The common thread I found through this survey is that we can find the good in the worst of times and through that, we do more than survive, we thrive.

As we personally move ahead, we find that the sadness, fears and inconveniences of the Covid-19 pandemic still exist, of course. But the time we have had to reflect and contemplate perhaps has strengthened us and helped us to cope and form a new vision toward what we need to do next. Although the years behind us may out-number the ones we have ahead, we know that we can have the energy, creativity, and drive to thrive.

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Learning to Dance In The Rain

Unmasking Your Vision For What’s Next – Part 2

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Learning to Dance In The Rain by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

Living through this pandemic brought back the same feelings I had when my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Ten years ago, the same questions emerged. I remembered how I struggled and played victim for a few months after his diagnosis. I felt my world had collapsed around me, and it wasn’t until someone shared a bit of wisdom with me that I decided not to let this defeat me! One day in my self-wallowing, I ran into a neighbor who was also caring for an invalid spouse. She wisely told me, Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain. I realized that I had the choice between being a victim or survivor. It was then that I decided to learn to dance with the uninvited circumstance that had entered my life!

For the following four years, our lives were filled with adjustments that fit the situation and still brought us happiness and contentment. The disease was yet present, but we continued to live our lives by enjoying the little things in life. It all had to do with having patience, changing attitude, and employing creativity.

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