Getting Good at Getting Older

Written By Aviva Black

We imagine, "riding off into the sunset" as heading to a heaven for living people -- a place filled with ease. It's a comforting image for a retirement party, but look it up and you'll find this:

To depart and fade into obscurity.

Uh, no thank you!

In her book, Getting Good at Getting Older, Rabbi Laura Geller illustrates how "Perennials are still blooming, and for Elders, it's time to be yourself."

Amazing, right? 

According to Geller, becoming yourself requires turning some fundamental anxieties into deeper reflections. Here are just a few questions to really think about:

  • Who will I grow old with?

  • Will I be OK with being dependent?

  • What purpose do I have?

  • Who am I?

78 year old Camila gets this. In her letter to her children she wrote, "We get on a fast track and need to get off to reassess and re-set our priorities. Set a time interval to reflect and evaluate. Weigh what is important at this point in your life."

You want meaningful conversation with your parent or spouse?  Ask these questions.

Aviva Black https://www.familyloveletters.com
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