This Is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts On Aging With Humor And Dignity (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I really enjoyed this book. As some reviews already said, being a collection of essays, some spoke to me more than others. I particularly enjoyed her frankness about it all. Her pieces on becoming an orphan (when her mother died) and coping with depression REALLY spoke to me. As well as the aches and pains, and the worries over it all. If the reader is not a Zen Buddhist, they may find the Zen references too much. But I didn't. The book stands alone, without those bits. I particularly liked this quote in the introduction: "As the Buddhist teacher Wes Nisker reminds us, we are called human beings not human doings. Laotzu said it, too, long ago: 'The way to do is to be.' We older people, forced to slow down in the doing department, have a leg up on being."For a person who used to DO so much--too much even--and has slowed down, I really appreciated this view. I found it freeing. A gently reassuring collection of essays. The author is older than I am (only about 10 years or so), but I can see there from here. The topics she covers -- physical infirmities, forgetfulness, depression, loneliness, the illness and death of parents and loved ones -- sounds horribly depressing, but she treats each one with humor and compassion. Highly recommended for anyone in their 50's and up, or who have aging parents.
What do You think about This Is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts On Aging With Humor And Dignity (2010)?
THIS IS GETTING OLD was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law but actually MUCH MORE!
—cayann
Looks like an interesting read! Can't wait to read it!
—GeekyMami
Related to a lot of the book and getting there myself.
—CarinaJenson
