Connecting with others as we grow older

Hello friends.  The Dalai Lama emphasizes that, no matter the advances in medicine and general health, our time here remains brief. In Elder Wisdom and my other books on aging I have tried to point to a closer relationship between what we think of as the secular and the sacred. Community, nature, gratitude, acceptance, contemplation, compassion, friendship, humor, celebration, transformation, even the rituals around death — these intimate connections are not arbitrary or insignificant.

Two decades after starting work on my non-fiction study Elder Wisdom, I wondered about its relevance for today. Discounting some author prejudice, I think it holds up pretty well. One reason is that the ideas and experiences expressed by the hundred elders seem to be deeply rooted in human nature. My aging interviewees were speaking from core issues in their lives. I become more convinced of this reality, especially while meditating. As an elder myself now, I recognize the real tragedies and evils that accompany our lives, but these do not negate the sacredness of our secular lives. Best, Gene.