Since I started writing and speaking about our American way of handling aging and death, a lot has changed. Just 9 years ago, no one thought much about preparing for the most important transition of all, the passing from this world into whatever the next one holds. Despite the fact that we ALL experience the cessation of our life here in the corporeal, so many of us are fearful or shy about talking about it. Fear of being deemed morbid or macabre, having a death wish, or an unhappy relationship, we push the conversation and the topic away over and…

Over and over I hear that no one feels old when  they report they are living a meaningful life.  And meaningful as defined by the goals and values they want to achieve. Whether they are staying physically active, donating time to community, mentoring grandkids,  working in the garden or learning a new cooking style, the older folks that have a goal and are tethered to meaningful people in their lives report “I am not old!”  Whether they are 50 or 90, these qualities of engagement defy the breakdown of spirit. By contrast, those are fearful, disconnected, spending too much time…