In 1994, author Malidoma Patrice Somé (1956-2021) published his book, Of Water and the Spirit. Brother Malidoma was from the central African country of Burkina Faso, born into the Dagara tribe. On page 23 of his book, Brother Malidoma writes: “If one obediently walks their life path, they will become an elder somewhere in their late forties or early fifties. Graduating to this new status, however, depends on one’s good track record. A male elder is the head of his family. He has the power to bless, and the power to withhold blessing. This ability comes to him from his ancestors, to whom he is very close, and he follows their wisdom in counseling his larger family.”
If you live long enough and if you take notes while you’re living; if you read and review and revise your notes and learn your lessons; if somewhere along your journey you find the language to express who you are in the world and what you stand for – in the family, in the tribe; if you walk in this way and if you live long enough to reach your late forties and early fifties, Brother Malidoma teaches that you will, eventually, become an elder.