We had the Ibasho’s board retreat today. I am so grateful to have such wonderful board members and friends who gathered to discuss how we can achieve our goal of “creating socially integrated and sustainable communities that value their elders.”

During the discussion, a question was posed “What does Ibasho do that others don’t do?” Some may think that “Isn’t Ibasho café the same as senior center?”

I have sit down in a quiet place and thought about it for a while…

Looking through my notes and all the pictures from our projects, I can clearly say that “We believe in elders’ wisdom and experience to reinvent our communities. We listen, value, and work with elders, and they are the ones to decide what they think is the best way for them to serve their community. They own the place and are empowered to make their own decision, not us deciding what is good for elders.”

Can we trust our elders more?

Don’t we all want to be trusted as we age?