In Later Years: Finding Meaning and Spirit in Aging

by Bruce T. Marshall.
Boston: Skinner House Books, 2018.

“In Later Years is a primer for aging, helping us to navigate these difficult waters with grace and purpose.”―Marilyn Sewell, author of Breaking Free: Women of Spirit at Midlife and Beyond

Drawing on scores of personal interviews, In Later Years: Finding Meaning and Spirit in Aging provides a felt sense, grounded in real-life accounts, of the challenges and blessings of aging. Unlike many books on the topic, this straightforward yet introspective volume focuses particularly on older seniors—those in their late seventies, eighties, and nineties. Interviewees thoughtfully share about their joys, regrets, accomplishments, and things left unfinished, while also considering the ways they cope with diminishing physical and mental abilities. The book also serves as an invaluable resource for family members and caregivers, suggesting ways to help, ways to connect, and ways to understand the issues that attend growing old. Detailed appendices provide tips and a simple curriculum for gathering and facilitating group discussions.

Bruce T. Marshall is a writer and minister who has served Unitarian Universalist congregations in Michigan, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Maryland. He is now a chaplain at Riderwood Village, a retirement community in Maryland. His previous books include A Holy Curiosity: Stories of a Liberal Religious Faith and Taking Pictures of God.