Aging: The Master Teacher

The Book of Exodus, chapter 20, verse 12, states the Fourth Commandment:  “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”  As youngsters, this commandment echoed through our minds as a central theme in our religious instruction.  The basic message was that to honor meant “to obey.”  Yet, we will always be children of our parents.  We will never be their parents.  Even though we are called at times to perform tasks which seem fundamentally parental for our own parents, the role reversal that has...

I formerly viewed my efforts of building wellness as a means for being healthier and perhaps to live longer. I’ve changed my perspective. Now, why do I pursue wellness - to live a more vital life right now?  Vitality So what is vitality? I would like to live a life of zest and energy; I want to savor life, to enjoy life and even to relish life… and in order to do this I must inject vibrancy into everything I do. I think vitality is a very personal concept; each of us views it and pursues it differently. Some of us find vitality...

I’ve attended more than several conferences on aging given by a medical doctor, a nurse or whomever, and I always come out feeling somewhat flummoxed because the “take away” was always the same – that as I aged my body gradually, but surely, loses strength.  I know the research… muscle strength training can stem the tide of decline – but it cannot stop it.  Yes, I have incorporated the unequivocal fact that I do get physically weaker as I age.  New Picture Yet, I know that this dismal picture is very different in my spiritual domain- because I know that...

This question, while rhetorical, does serve as a mental stimulus for those of us interested in the overall welfare of maturing adults.  Studies investigating this question have discovered something quite intriguing – the most urgent counseling needs of older adults are not physical, i.e. food, clothing, shelter, medical care, insurance, etc. The most urgent needs of older persons are in the area that might be called affective needs, or psycho-social concerns or, personal concerns.  In seminal work on this topic (Fleer, 1975) it was found that the highest rated needs in order of importance were: Sense of self-worth At least...

Here are four definitions of retirement penned by people who attended my retirement classes over the years.  Which one do you like best?  I’d love to hear from you. Retirement is another life forum where you can perform a new act in the drama of your life, becoming ever more the person that God intends you to be.  Retirement is that purifying gift and stage of adult life inviting you to summarize and integrate the meaning of who you’ve become, as a reflection of God’s love. Retirement is the point in life when you see the events, circumstances, and relationships...

We are in the first act of an historical drama that is destined to transform our culture, and reform churches in ways we have yet to imagine.  Unlike any drama before it, the opening scene of this drama was hardly noticed, yet it has intensified year by year until now when it’s about to take a center stage position in our faith communities.  I’m speaking, of course, about the fact that in the last 90 years our longevity has increased 30!  We are just now beginning to experience the consequences of this fantastic change; and many are frightening!  We’re fearful...