What happens when the strength we expected to have is gone? The Finnish concept of sisu offers a surprising way to think about perseverance, surrender, and the reserves we discover in later life.
Spirituality and Loneliness in Later Life Recent studies have revealed a troubling trend: nearly half of adults today have fewer than three close friends in whom they can confide. That number has doubled since 1990. This is not a new concern for us. In earlier reflections on
Retirement is supposed to bring relief. More time. Fewer demands. A different pace. And for many, it does. But after a while, something else becomes noticeable. The day is no longer organized for you. It is less clear where you are needed. The answer to “What do you do?” takes a
Last week we reflected on katabasis—the descent. The Greeks paired that word with another: anabasis, a going up. Not a return to the way things were, but a movement into something that follows. After a difficult stretch of life, there are times when a person begins
Last week, we explored individuation—the inward movement toward wholeness that Carl Jung believed marks the second half of life. Jung was clear about one thing: this work cannot stay in our heads. It cannot remain a set of ideas we agree with. Sooner or later,
The Second Agreement and the Freedom of Carrying Less “What other people think of you is none of your business.”— Regina Brett What makes that sentence unsettling is not its bluntness, but its accuracy. Most of us have spent a lifetime tending to other people’s opinions—anticipating
Naming the drain without blame As another year draws to a close, many in our community find themselves taking stock almost without meaning to. Not in the sense of judging the year or grading themselves, but in noticing what kept them together, what tried their patience,
“Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present you will never find it.” — Thomas Merton Turning Quiet Into a Companion Rather Than an Adversary Loneliness and
Embracing Impermanence in Later Life To surrender is not to give up—it is to let go of what was never ours to hold forever. Embracing impermanence in later life often begins as an ache, disguised as loss. We release roles, routines, and identities that once anchored us.
How Calming Your Inner Alarm Can Restore Peace, Purpose, and Spiritual Resilience It usually started at 3:17 a.m. — the hour of the wolf, when the night is deepest and doubts come out to prowl. Eleanor would bolt awake, heart tapping out a frantic SOS, as if
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