Often these days I find myself saying In our culture we are not prepared for aging and death. Ours is a culture that denies and denigrates growing old in so many ways. My lament, however, is about seeking a way to accept the aging process and inevitability of death. How do we go about living and dying at the same time? How do we navigate this end of life realm without direction? There are expectations of course. Most of them focus on an endless list of abilities lost. Where is the expectation that we gain wisdom and grace? How do we move past the invisibility of personhood that surrounds us? I've often offered to others that they trust the process, but this process requires a level of trust that exceeds what may have been needed before. Loving what is - this is the phrase that keeps nudging my mind Easing into what may come, Taking one step at a time. Slowing down and being more deliberate has its advantages. (aka the tortoise) Maybe less mourning the losses. More gratitude for the gifts. Expect transitions to last longer and let go your idea of what's to come. Spend more time appreciating the present. Maybe, just maybe, this has the beginnings of the map I've been seeking. Now let's see if I can keep from losing my way...
Tag Archives: Aging and death
Where’s the Map?
Filed under Prose and Poetry