“Returning to the Fold”

~ Elizabeth

After my extended break to take an online class on the spirituality of aging, I am back to my blog. While the class was indeed interactive, it ended up being a much less satisfactory way of connecting with others than the blogging world. We had set questions to answer each week and were encouraged to respond to one another’s answers. So far, so good. But there was no way to follow one participants’ responses over time since each comment was attached to a question and the questions were divided into six weeks. I grew frustrated with this structure and missed the easier give and take with one writer at a time.

The material itself was engaging but led me to understand that it is a mistake to consider the question of aging and spirituality as having one dimension over a long period of one’s life. While I am interested in aging late in life, the class looked at issues from mid-life on. I realized that things that concern me at 76 are very different from those when I was 50, but the curriculum tended to conflate the two.

I was glad to have a chance to revisit the stages of life delineated by Erik Erikson, my professor in my senior year at Harvard. But I was even happier to find that his widow, Joan, had added a ninth stage to his eight stage model to allow her to consider life in one’s 80’s and 90’s. I will write about her additions in a later post.

I am glad to be back and look forward to beginning to catch up with the two months of all of your lives that I have missed. And it doesn’t look as if I will leave to take a similar class any time soon!

39 thoughts on ““Returning to the Fold””

  1. I look forward to hearing more, Elizabeth. I always find ageing rather strange as in some ways it’s great but at other times I forget how old I actually am…

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  4. This 87-year-old is just taking things one day at a time. My wife is in the early stages of dementia, and my live-in adult daughter has myalgic encephalomyelitis, so between care giving, maintaining our old house, and blogging, there’s not much time to spare. Maybe it’s just as well, because “things that concern me at [87] are very different from those when I was [76].”

    Anyway, I’m glad you’re back and got some good out of your class. You’re a class act, and I wish you many happy years up to my age and beyond.!

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    1. Your response touches me. Thank heavens we both keep up a sense of humor though many would crumble under the strain. I appreciate our shared knowledge of music and film.

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  5. Good to see you back Elizabeth. I totally understand your thoughts on the class and I have experience of the concepts and practicalities of The Spirituality of Aging. There is no “normal”, nor is there a plan that can be followed. Each individual’s experience is unique and changing over time.

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  6. There seems to be no pattern to my aging (65 on Thursday) other than there is no consistency. I’m embracing it and plan on getting the most out of life.

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  7. Nice to see you again Elizabeth. As far as your ‘class’ is concerned. . nothing ventured nothing gained. . springs to mind.
    And I tend to feel in a similar manner to PP, we’re all different so our ageing process will be different as well.

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      1. that’s interesting. My youngest daughter died of her cancer at the start of November, and her partner said that several of her friends had spoke to him of regrets since then. Me too. I wish I’d told her how proud of her I was.

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        1. I am terribly sad to learn of this. I became very fond of her during your time together in England. I know she knew how deeply you loved her in deeds and presence if not as often in words.

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  11. I cannot see any definitive answer to dealing with growing old. It depends on too many variables. Financial security, general health, community, family, and to some degree, education. Although we can all identify with some aspects like physical changes in our appearance, the experience of being old is unique to each person, in my opinion.

    I am very pleased to see you back on your blog. This is where you can make a difference by sharing your personal experiences, life history, and thoughtful writing.
    Best wishes, Pete.

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  14. Ive got way behind with reading blogs – some briefly scanned – some just a like. But I’ve had an excuse – I did a fast track move from my city to another south of here in ONE month. Now I’m here in my new abode but I’ve got to deal with more on a To Do List as an aging woman, I need to keep the admin boxes all ticked.

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