Wisdom for the aging

"I find that the habit of despair is a bottomless pit. I wonder if I can achieve the habit of hope instead?" Questions like these were sent to Malcolm Boyd as a columnist for AARP's magazine Modern Maturity. For ten years he answered with compassion and honesty, creating a body of wisdom that everyone who is aging--and that means everyone--will cherish. Boyd's answers are informed by his fifty years of experience as an Episcopal priest and spiritual director, working with elders and their families in countless situations. At 86, Boyd is the living embodiment of this book's wisdom. The best wisdom for the aging has been gleaned from his own life. "I find aging a remarkable opportunity," he writes. "To make changes in my own life, become more flexible, open to change--honor memory while looking ahead."