Still Green and Growing
There is a saying, “When one door closes, another one opens.”
That saying proved to be true for us at the Star of the North recently, along with a few lessons for us: there is a need out there for a spirituality for our wisdom years, we are never too old to grow personally and spiritually, and the importance of retreat ministry.
When our attempt to put on a book launch for my new book on the second half of life, Still Green and Growing, proved to be too complicated and unfeasible, the idea surfaced to have a retreat on that topic instead, and have the book available.
To our surprise, forty people of all ages registered and showed up for the event – the youngest in his early thirties (son of a former Muslim woman who accompanied him) and the oldest ninety-two!
So here is the first lesson learned: Participants informed us there was a need for this type of retreat out there. It seems one parish had wanted to do something on aging, but could not find a resource person, so they did something on dementia instead. That vindicated the insistence of Novalis, the publisher, that the book, originally intended to be on personal growth, human development and inner healing, have a second half of life focus. It also affirms Ron Rolheiser’s prophetic initiative at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio to create a Forest Dweller course to help the growing number of people in the second half of life.
The retreat, complete with music and a banner made by Chris Meerveld, who has taken up where Bro. Louis Andreas OMI left off, blended parts of the book with reflections on personal growth and aging graciously. The book itself is a blend of material from my two mentors Ron Rolheiser, OMI and Richard Rohr OFM (with their written permission) and my own experience.
At the end of the retreat, the oldest participant, a retired university professor with a doctorate in math and physics, shared with me how she discovered she had been emotionally shut down all her life, especially in her marriage. She realized the world is still evolving, and so must she – so she registered for a private directed retreat a few weeks later. After deciding to come for regular spiritual direction, she also scheduled herself for a life-time confession (similar to a Step 5). I could only marvel and be inspired by her enthusiasm to continue to grow personally and spiritual at the age of ninety-two! Second and third lessons learned: we are never too old to grow, and the importance of retreat ministry in prompting folks to refresh, restart or continue their spiritual journeys.
In the end, the retreat proved to be as good as a book launch, as over fifty books were sold. One venerable diocesan priest who came with his walker, went away with eight books. The staff informed me a week later he had returned to obtain another thirteen! I guess he is giving them away to friends and acquaintances. How sweet is that? The book, by the way, is available from Novalis and on Amazon.
The book, and the retreat, began with the saying, “If you’re green, you grow; if you’re not, you rot!” A cute phrase, yet in a sense also true. How affirming it is to respond to a need for help on the second half of life journey, as well as be reminded we are never too old to grow.
By Bishop Sylvain, OMI
