Light on Aging and Dying: Wise Words Book

Nearing spent over two decades collecting quotes about the interplay between aging, wisdom, spirituality, and dying. She supported her husband through his choice to control his own death by means of starvation. (He was 100 and felt as though he had lived a full life.) She then lived another 12 years as a widow. They had lived together for decades. He was a noted political theorist who lost his job because of his radical ideas. They moved to Vermont and adopted some of the habits of farmers. However, they both still read, wrote, and thought deeply about their life choices. (And note, they both received large sums of cash annually that helped them "live off the fat of the land.")

So in my mind, Helen Nearing was more of a pensive intellectual than a farmer's wife. Her book of quotes bears out her far-ranging reading habits. These quotes are drawn from several centuries, several continents, and several world religions. She also read 20th century texts about aging in an era when one's health fell apart sometimes a decade before one's life ceased. In that gap between full health and loss of life there are many writing about what it means to physically decline, what it means to die, and what it means to be an older adult who can still have purpose, vigor, and social connection in ways that differ from a twentysomething.

These are powerful quotes worth reading and rereading. I'd offer a sample, but I wouldn't be able to choose among so many gems. Pick up a copy and see for yourself. This is not JUST a hodge-podge of pithy sayings. This is evidence that Helen Bearing really wrestled with these topics. This collection is a witness to her ability to make a meaningful contribution through her 80s and into her early 90s.