Answering a call you never thought possible
“In old age, a person may give birth to new things, in ways that seemed laughable when he or she was young. We strive in our youth for what we want from life. As we mature and grow in our spiritual journeys, we come to understand that what we desire may not accord with God’s will for us.
We may grieve as we resign ourselves to giving up the desires and ambitions of our youth, but as we give up those desires, we become more open to accept God’s will, including accepting the service that God would have us do. Then God may call us to a ministry that we never thought possible for ourselves.“
— Elizabeth F. Meyer, 2004
Member of Sandy Spring (MD) Meeting
Reader Responses
Who would you like to age into?
How do you mature with intention?
I want to know what is mine to do in this stage of life. I have spent a very busy life so far, but now I am a grandmother and I know that I want, and that it aligns with divine providence, to spend lots of time with my grandchild. I know I want to continue to serve my students in small and big ways.
I don't want to change the world anymore, but I'm interested in the youthful energy of those who do. That is not to say I think the human world is perfect, but I am much more attuned to what is good in the natural world surrounding me and indeed, in my local community. I feel much more at peace with this kind of reach than I did in my younger years.
Ellen S., Center Conway, NH, USA
At 90, I realize that to continue to be socially responsible and perform the tikkun olam ("repairing the world") my Jewish tradition imbued in me, I should use the skills and persistence a lifetime has taught me.
I have returned from the larger stage of my past endeavors to where my work will be valued as a local, neighborhood-scale organizer. If I show by example to young volunteers that they have agency in modest yet achievable goals, they will mature into the leaders of tomorrow.
Richard R., Rochester, NY, USA
I would like to age into a person who rests in the love of God and who also acts in the love of God.
Helen W., Alton, Hampshire, UK
I would like to age into an involved, intelligent, competent participant in Quakerism with some feelings of optimism. However, I am an 81-year-old who has gone through multiple procedures dealing with an aging body that essentially prohibit travel, even to local events outside of our senior community residence.
That being said, I still intend to continue my "Search for Truth and Reality". The more I learn and know, the more I realize that I don't know much. Thus my aging body and brain seem to become impediments to seeking at a depth I desire, a condition I am trying to accept, but finding acceptance difficult.
Tom S., Lino Lakes, MN, USA
I'm aging into the person I always wanted to be... kinder, wiser, gentler, more peaceful, and accepting of life's uncertainties and diminishments.
I'm being helped along in the process, during this 78th year of my life, by my 44 years of Quaker worship, faith & practice; Buddhist mindfulness/meditation; and joining other members of my Monthly Meeting in reading and discussing Julia Cameron's book, "The Artist's Way" (30th Anniversary Edition).
Writing three daily pages of stream-of-consciousness thoughts is allowing me to engage in a spiritual life inventory of where I've been and how I arrived at this point in my life. It is a process of integration and consolidation of my life experiences and an awareness of the invisible Spiritual Guide who has led me to where I am. My life is, and has been, very blessed, including the suffering and hard times.
Joseph I., Washington, DC, USA
I am aging with intention by creating a strong future family. To do this, I maintain meaningful bonds with my adult children, ensuring I am meeting them where they are in any stage, grief, or joy they are experiencing. I work to be a safe and nonjudgmental presence. This also means treating their partners as my own.
Brook H., Fairway, CT, USA
I would like to be patient, kind, attentive, able to listen, forgiving, and loving. It takes practice every day — practice to strengthen our relationship with the spirit that brought us here, and which will receive us when our time on earth is done.
The sufferings of age are some of the greatest challenges we receive in our lives, and they come when we have the fewest reservoirs of energy. And often we are alone.
Love holds us up in all times, but especially as we suffer. These later years give us a chance to fully immerse ourselves in seeking the wisdom that others have shared relating to our relationship with the beyond. It takes time, and that is one thing that we have if we make it a priority.
Dorothy G., Portland, ME, USA
My hope and prayer is for discernment, intuition, and interpretation of prophetic witness to increase in the form of useful wisdom as I mature.
Susan D., Olympia, WA, USA
This Week’s Messages
Mon Feb 23
The richest light of all
“Late light, photographers tell us, is the richest light of all. In the hour before the sun sets, it imbues the landscape with depth and warmth. This is a dynamic and fleeting time. So too, in the last years of your life, your inner light begins to shift. New wavelengths prevail, slower and more beautiful. You can approach your life with greater clarity and tenderness.” …
Tue Feb 24
A miraculous window of opportunity
I hope you sense what a glorious future awaits you in old age. No longer will you dread the evening of life as a time of unremitting suffering and futility, but as an opportunity for continued growth in consciousness and service to humanity. What a vista, what a wonderful adventure, what a miraculous window of opportunity awaits us in old age! …
Wed Feb 25
Old age is a great blessing
“Old age is a great blessing, notwithstanding all the sufferings incident to it; for they are like harbingers, to bid us prepare.” …
Thu Feb 26
Opportunities in older adulthood
“Growing old, even when that means facing physical or other changes, can help us focus on what is essential. As we age, our perspective on what has meaning is refined. When we slow down, whether because of physical changes or by choice, we often become more contemplative. We may want to share memories and stories, to forgive or be forgiven, to express gratitude, to focus on our most essential values. Older adulthood offers the opportunity to model peace.” …
Fri Feb 27
The intense focus of my life
“There are fewer and fewer things that truly matter. The years have accumulated such a store of inner lasting value that I no longer feel the weight of the perishable…. My life is becoming intensely focused on presence and Presence.” …
Sat Feb 28
Finding meaning in your story
“In the end, people don’t view their life as merely the average of all its moments—which, after all, is mostly nothing much plus some sleep. For human beings, life is meaningful because it is a story. A story has a sense of a whole, and its arc is determined by the significant moments, the ones where something happens.” …
Read the source of today’s quote
Banner art by Georgia Peterson
