As an Elder-in-Training, at the young age of 55, I am increasingly aware of thoughts and feelings about growing old that surprise me. Some of you may know of the Nun Study, begun in 1986, a story of remarkable women ranging in ages from 74 to 106 that has provided a wealth of research about growing old well. The numbers of people reaching one hundred years in the U.S. will grow from thirty thousand in 1990 to an estimated eight hundred thousand in 2050. Clues to the longevity of the Nuns have emerged. The author of the study described two of these that do not lend themselves to scientific evaluation.
|
|
 |
Deep spirituality, as in prayer and contemplation, has been found to positively benefit long-term health as well as accelerate the healing process. A second factor is the power of community. The Jungian therapist/writer, Thomas Moore, wrote that one cannot be a true individual without true community and true community cannot exist without true individuals That is a reason to grow old with health. Reb Zalman has also offered that the extra forty years we now have to use can be invested in the growth of consciousness. To be aware is no easy task as described in most spiritual traditions. It does take great effort and offers great reward.
|
