Advice

Research on adult development clearly indicates that the years from 50 to 75 and beyond are the best years of a person's life, if he or she faced and worked through the crises of earlier life stages. What we lose in physical prowess and agility, we gain in wisdom and depth, allowing us to view life and society in broader, more understandable, and more compassionate terms. While our own death becomes more real and imminent as we grow older, the fear of death, which in one metaphoric form or another (loss, abandonment, rejection, disappointment, etc.) haunts us for much of our lives, diminishes dramatically, leaving us with a kind of peace previously impossible.

For those of you who have yet to face that nagging secret--an addiction, perhaps; or some painful or shameful experience that happened to you long ago--the good news is that it is never too late to go through those earlier life stages or crises. We have seen countless people in their 60's, 70's, and even 80's take that courageous first step to finish old, unfinished business with themselves and their loved ones, with heartwarming results.

It is never too late to have a peaceful adulthood, with depth and wisdom and love. It all begins with acknowledgement that we always have more room to grow; and that when we are ready to do it, someone will be there to love and support us through it. The world has become scary and confusing on the one hand, but on the other hand, it remains filled with family or friends and even strangers who will be there for us, if only we let them know that we are ready.