Carol's Reflections

The Grace in Aging

Getting lost in your emotional reactivity isn’t where you want to be. –Ram Dass I want to apologize, right off the bat, for all those years and years of lunches, phone conversations and long walks in parks together in which I complained endlessly about my mother. When she passed, my

Purpose Enough

You never know who is going to be the soul of a particular gathering for you –the words of wisdom that you will bring home with you to turn over and over again in your heart. The most recent was Bob Atchley, a gentle but powerful soul who helped build

On the Brink of Everything

Ten years ago, at the age of 63 when I was fraught with the challenges of growing old in our ageist, dysfunctional society, I vowed to transform myself from victim to explorer. I viewed the far side of midlife as wild territory, full of dangerous unknowns, and saw that my

My Next Breath: Blog and Discussion

Hello Fierce Ones, Fall is seriously underway—the cycle of seasons providing a natural opportunity for introspection. For those of us who value turning inward, we find inspiration in what Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” But at our age and stage in life, it is also

The Gift of Years: Blog and Discussion

Hello Fierce Ones, I’m pleased to announce the next selection of the Conscious Aging Book Club: The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully by Joan Chittister. The discussion board opens today in the comment section below and culminates September 6 both online and in-person at 10:30 a.m., Parnassus Books, Nashville.

The Examined Life: Blog and Discussion

Hello Fierce Ones, I’m pleased to announce the next selection of the Conscious Aging Book Club: Living an Examined Life: Wisdom for the Second Half of the Journey by James Hollis, Ph.D. The discussion board opens today in the comment section below and culminates July 5 both online and in-person

Personal Note: Angelica’s Last Breath

“Try to live with the part of your soul which understands eternity, which is not afraid of death. And that part of your soul is love.” –Leo Tolstoy Dear Friends of Older, Wiser, Fiercer, Over the past few years, many of you have given me valuable feedback on several of

Moses–Benched

When I speak before audiences, I often ask them to picture an old woman sitting alone on a park bench. Then I ask them to share the first image/thought/impulse that pops into their mind. The younger the audience, the more likely they are to feel sorry for the lonely woman

“The Measure of My Days”

“As we age we are more alive than seems likely, convenient or even bearable.” –Florida Scott-Maxwell, The Measure of My Days : Conscious Aging Book Club Selection May On the eve of my 70thyear I found more than a guide to hold my hand across the threshold—I found a soul

Seventy is Different*

Seventy is different than the sixties. How do I know? Because just two months ago, at the tender age of 69, the outcome I’m about to describe would have been very different. And the young nursing student who had been eavesdropping on my conversation with old friends at lunch may