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Simple Wisdom – Because Life Can Be Complicated

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  • Aging,  Life Challenges

    The Pilgrimage of Aging

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    man facing sunset with suitcase in his hand. HOw to say goodbye. pilgrimage

    “I can’t control what’s happening in the world.But I can put one foot in front of the other and walk my pilgrimage.” — Joanna Penn

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    Illness as a Spiritual Practice

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    Doctor with crossed arms delivering a difficult diagnosis; illness

    Illness  as a spiritual practice? I would rather not think so... I’ve written a number of reflections over the years about spiritual practice as it appears in daily…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging,  Life Challenges

    Learning to Live at Sixty – A Reflection on Aging

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    birthday cake with candles - aging

    Aging alone, I was sitting in a wheelchair on the 4th floor of a busy rehab hospital—five hundred miles from home—on my 60th birthday. Not even a simple…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging,  Life Challenges

    The Body Remembers

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    two white haired aging ladies on a bench discussing the meaning and purpose of growing old, memory

    Suppose for a moment that our aging bodies carried not only scars and wrinkles of the years gone by, but also every dream we once dreamed…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging,  Life Challenges

    A Reflection on Aging

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    A dachshund using willpower to carry a stick much bigger than he is

    There was a time—long ago—when carrying groceries wasn’t even part of the conversation. At 26, I was learning to carry something far heavier: a diagnosis.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging,  Life Challenges

    Growing Whole, Not Old: Embracing Spiritual Evolution in Later Life

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    aging woman with kind eyes- whole not old

    The journey to growing whole begins when society expects us to start winding down. While wrinkles deepen and hair whitens, something remarkable happens beneath the surface—

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging,  Life Challenges

    Spiritual Reflections on Illness and Aging

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    aging and illness, aging gracefully

    After avoiding the illness that changed the world, I finally experienced firsthand the effects of COVID-19 in my own body. Following are reflections on the gifts of that…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    Spiritual Aging: Beyond Doctor Visits and Exercise Plans

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    how to wait, spiritual aging, illness

    A reader recently asked why we seem to focus more on physical issues as we age than the spiritual ones. When my friend Sarah turned 75, her calendar…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Uncategorized

      Finding Fun in the Process of Aging

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    aging woman in wheelchair, grace

    Are you having fun in this process we call aging? Not just finding ways to have fun despite growing older, but discovering joy in the actual journey of…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging

    Growing Old for the Fun of It

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    a stressed out dog with his chin on the floor, growing older, aging

    I often say “I am growing old for the fun of it,” but the other day I stumbled stepping off a curb and I an image of myself…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging

    What holds you back from living a full life?

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    boys jumping with joy begin again,living a full life

    What is it that holds us back from living the fullest life possible as we age? Most of life is about moving forward, achieving, acquiring and growing.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging

    Aging Gratefully

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    golden retreiver with a toy in his mouth, aging gratefully

    Are you aging gratefully? Growing older is a privilege that not everyone gets to experience. Some days I think my dog understands gratefulness and aging better than I...

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging

    Growing Old Gracefully: Reflections on Embracing Aging with Wisdom and Humor

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    two white haired aging ladies on a bench discussing the meaning and purpose of growing old, memory

    The more years go by, the more I realize that growing old gracefully isn't about having it all figured out. It's about keeping that youthful spirit alive -…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging,  Life Challenges

    Would You Choose Aging or Youth?

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    mans plays with grandson, aging over youth. legacy

    IF you had a choice would you choose aging or perpetual youth? Suppose for a moment that aging was completely voluntary…that you could choose to remain young, vital…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging,  Life Challenges

    Aging as a Spiritual Practice

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    aging man with cane when walking is difficult

    How can aging be a form of spiritual practice? Many people think of ‘spiritual practice’ as attending religious services once a week, a morning devotional, or a commitment…

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    Ardis Mayo
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Recent posts

  • Finding one clock out of many, chronus timeTwo Kinds of Time
    Life Challenges, Spiritual Growth
  • man facing sunset with suitcase in his hand. HOw to say goodbye. pilgrimageThe Pilgrimage of Aging
    Aging, Life Challenges
  • this Boston terrier knows how to procrastinate with syle with his chin on the arm of the sofaHave You Practiced Yet?
    Life Challenges
  • dekker sleepinig, during illnessIllness Through a Dog’s Eyes
    Dekker, Life Challenges
  • The Problem of Tears
    Life Challenges

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