Molly Srode is a retired hospital chaplain in her early sixties who was once a nun and educator. She and her husband, Bernie, are the publishers of Senior Spirituality Newsletter and live in Columbus, Ohio. There are many books available about the challenges of retirement but none quite like this one.
The author examines the physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences of this new stage in life. Free-flowing poetic musings at the end of each chapter trace the transformative dimensions of retirement. The book is divided into sections on the individual spirit, the Great Spirit, and practical spirituality, and covers such themes as letting go of who we were, finding out who we really are, taking the plunge, the presence, the other, compassion, when bad things happen, unfinished business, and four steps to a better day.
In one of her poetic reveries, Srode writes:
"Mystery touches every phase
of our existence.
Faith enters
and love sustains this life
which we never completely grasp.
This mystery
knocks out all our security
and leaves us groping before infinite truth.
Nothing can be bound,
no truth contained,
no person judged
for all contain an element of mystery
which makes them reach beyond
the power to
bind
or contain
or judge.
What greater gift can we offer
than a heart open to the mystery of existence?"
In India, elders take the time to focus on their spiritual lives. We can do the same if we reach inward and ponder the presence of the Great Spirit in our retirement. It is the ideal period to dedicate ourselves to the spiritual practices of gratitude, wonder, love, and unity. Srode shows us with her convincing case for making the closing years of our lives a journey on the mystical path.
