Every story has a beginning, middle and end. It’s a lesson Thelma Ruffin Thomas, Artistic Director of the Pearls of Wisdom, instilled in all her storytelling students. The Pearls of Wisdom are a troupe of older adult storytellers based at DOROT. They perform at schools, libraries, older adult centers and other venues all over the city, sharing their life experiences and love of stories with communities of all ages.
At 90, Thelma is retiring from her role as Artistic Director. On August 14, nearly 40 people—members of the Pearls, DOROT staff, longtime colleagues and friends—came to honor Thelma at a celebration lunch. True to form, the guests told stories. They remembered how they’d met Thelma, how warm and dynamic she was, and how she’d seen something in them which told her they’d make a storyteller worthy of her troupe. They described Thelma as a friend, teacher, mother, storyteller, competitive swimmer—and a frighteningly good Scrabble player.
Thelma is handing over the artistic reins of the Pearls to Atiba Wilson, a member of the troupe who will be her successor. Atiba is a teacher, musician and “jali,” or storyteller rooted in West African traditions.
Though she’s retiring, Thelma plans to keep swimming, playing Scrabble, and telling stories, which she’s always seen as important. It’s simple, she explains: “When I listen to your story, I learn about you, and I find out we have something in common.”
We at DOROT are looking forward to this new chapter for the Pearls of Wisdom! If you have never experienced the Pearls storytelling, there will be opportunities to learn with and from them this fall.
May we all draw inspiration from Thelma's capacity to experience new things, no matter our age or stage.