Elder Ministries

My 91-yr-old dad is not alone in his occasionally spoken frustration with “the golden years”.  I have heard many older adults, from their 60’s to 90’s, mumble about how their “golden years” were harder than they expected, or their physical health was worse than they expected, or…
Their golden years are more like fool’s-golden years.  It’s like they bought into a well-marketed image of retirement, and now feel they are victims of a geriatric bait-and-switch scheme.

But, I have also seen and heard other older adults whose sense of living in their “golden years” was positive, even enthusiastic.  Some of them have normal aches-and-pains due to aging.  Some have significant health issues.

Despite these challenges, they have chosen to put a shine on their golden years regardless of what their bodies are doing.  I suspect one reason they have adjusted to the realities of their aging bodies is that they find ways to nourish their inner lives in spite of what their bodies do.

Attitude is everything when it comes to aging, isn’t it?

One of the benefits of “retirement” is that we have more control of our time.  Like many other folks who no longer punch a time-clock, I keep myself quite busy with a variety of activities.

Reading is one of my activities.  It nourishes my sense of curiosity as well as challenges me to explore the paths along my own spiritual journey more vigorously.     I can get intellectually and spiritually lazy.  But I know there is MORE than what I have settled for in my spiritual life.

Do you too feel there should be MORE in your inner life than you have settled for?  Do you want to put MORE shine on your golden years by looking inside of yourself rather than just at your aging body?

“The Gift of Years” gives aging a great gift

Save the Date
Energizing Elderhood
May 13-14, 2010

Des Moines UMC
22225 9th Ave. S.
Des Moines, WA 98198

Did you read January’s “Nurturing Elders & Others” column?  About the hyper-active older adults at Ocean Shores UMC?  It wore me out to read about all they do.  How about you?

Well, this month’s column is definitely a change of pace.  I want to tell you about a very important and stimulating book that could change - for the rest of your life - how you see your own aging.  I really mean it!

It is called “The Gift of Years” written by Sister Joan Chittister.  Chittister is a Benedictine nun whose spiritual wisdom and everyday insights have provoked Christians for many years.  She has been one of my spiritual guides since I read her “Wisdom Distilled from the Daily” fourteen years ago.

“The Gift of Years” is a gathering of 40 short essays about many dimensions of the aging process.  It is a book to read slowly, thoroughly, reflectively and expectantly.  In the last part of her introduction, Chittister says the book “is meant to be read over and over again, if for no other reason than to take the pulse of life as we go on from one issue, one decade, to another.”

Attachments:

Energizing Elders 2010 Flier

[ ]

152 Kb