Gaining a heart of wisdom
My son rolled his eyes in disdain as he vented his outrage. “Doesn’t she know she’s a grown up? There’s nothing cool about an old person trying to act like a kid!” Leave it to youth to give us the straight and unvarnished story. We’ve all witnessed the desperate measures of the middle-aged, stuck in… Continue reading Spiritual Formation at Mid-Life and Beyond
Most of the dreams that carried me forward and burned brightly in young adulthood have lost their luster years ago. My twenty-something self would be mortified at the woman I’ve become. I can imagine her indignant voice, hand on hip, eyes wide: “What? No gym membership?” “How many kids did you say you have?” “What… Continue reading Cherishing Hope for the Dream that Sticks Around
C.S. Lewis described the human condition as a process of always becoming more of what we already are. These are cautionary words for me at this point in middle age, particularly as I consider the possibilities. In Lewis's The Great Divorce, the Teacher speaks regretfully of a seemingly harmless woman who has come to the end of… Continue reading Half Way to Entirely
Some mornings, crawling out of bed feels more like crawling out of a car wreck. Arthritic feet and ankles protest against the floor, and I straighten a stiff back mumbling, "I'm too young to feel this terrible." Two summers ago, when the gang landed here on Memorial Day I broke my toe playing kick ball.… Continue reading The Wonder Years: 40 and Even Better
Modern medicine has made optimists out of us all. Cancer? Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy frequently combine to leave the patient cancer-free or living well with the disease as a chronic illness. Heart attack? Clot-busters, by-pass surgery, rehabilitation, and the patient returns to a normal life. Dementia? Well, that's a different story. Pharmaceutical options are disappointing,… Continue reading Dementia, Dignity, and Honoring God
Most of the dreams that carried me forward and burned brightly in young adulthood lost their luster years ago. My twenty-something self would be mortified at the woman I’ve become. I can imagine her indignant voice, hand on hip, eyes wide: “What? No gym membership?” “How many kids did you say you have?” “What is… Continue reading No Bitterness in the Wait — Embracing the Aging Dream
Living Our Days 