Winter's Graces: The Surprising Gifts of Later Life

(Paperback)

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Americas 39 million female Baby Boomers (US Census, 2016)currently 54 to 72 years oldare beginning to cross the threshold into later life in a largely age-unfriendly culture, and are thus especially ripe for good news about growing older.
Women of all ages (125.9 million, according to the 2014 US Census) suffer from lingering ageist stereotypes that overemphasize the losses of age, fail to recognize its many surprising gifts, and are especially demeaning of older women.
Americans 50 million men over fifty (AARP) are also affected by the widespread aversion to age.
AUDIENCE:
Baby Boomers, especially women
Women of all ages
Men over fifty

Reviews

"In her thoughtful, inspirational look at aging, Stewart, an educator and therapist, uses folklore and professional insights to explore the 11 graces that bring fulfillment to our later years. . . . This beautifully written treatment of aging is suitable for both private contemplation and small study groups." Booklist A joyous, optimistic addition to works about aging. <>Library Journal Stewart reveals eleven gifts that reach their fullest expression when we become elders . . . this book gives tips and tools for cultivating positive attitudes and health-promoting behaviors that can lead to elder years marked by engagement, adventure, serviceand yes, passion. Foreword Reviews "A compelling, poignant, and necessary rebuttal to a culture that devalues people as they age. Dr. Stewart reveals the untapped resources of our human family through a framework rooted in science and ancient wisdom that helps us intentionally embrace the cycles of nature, and one another. Dr. Kristen Lee, Lead Faculty, Behavioral Science, Northeastern University, Boston, and author of Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking Dr. Susan Stewart has indeed followed her own instincts and inner wisdom in gathering stories that illustrate the meaning and value of our lives as we move toward adult maturation. She has thoughtfully organized this gentle book in approachable steps that encourage reflection, imagination, and acceptance. Penelope Tarasuk, PhD, IAAP Jungian psychoanalyst and author of Polishing the Bones "Winters Graces comes to us in an era that requires more grace than most of us can muster. Though written for women in or approaching the winter of their lives, it speaks as truly for us codgers as well. Among the gifts this work has to offer is the experience of the authors voice: at once gentle and wise, tentative and sure, and above all deeply human." James A. Wiley, Professor, Institute of Health Policy Research, UCSF School of Medicine Susan Stewart guides her readers through the thorny thicket of aging in America to a quiet clearing where misconceptions are peeled away, and our fears are not denied, but embraced. Were led with gentle hands through contemporary science and solid cross-cultural, age-old traditions that help to re-awaken our own forgotten memories and understandings of the richness and value of each season of life. With the skill of an alchemist, Susan invites us to explore eleven qualities that ripen in later life and can transform the leaden fear of aging into a grateful recognition that the golden years are indeed gold. This book is to be read and then reread, one chapter at a time, whenever we need an infusion of audacity, contentment, or courage. Jackie Cato, bi-lingual teacher Dr. Susan Stewarts work has inspired me to watch for and to celebrate the many wonderful gifts and graces that come with the process of aging. Our society is prone to seeing the disadvantages of age. What a joy it is to focus rather on the many reasons to embrace aging in light of the continuing development and deepening of the human being in later life. The Rev. Jeannette Myers, Episcopal priest In this wise volume, Susan Stewart offers a compelling vision of what aging can be, not only for women, but for us all. In particular, the eleven qualities she dubs as the Graces of Winter articulate a profound depth-psychological model, rooted both in contemporary cutting-edge research and ancient wisdom. David Van Nuys, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and creator/host of the Shrink Rap Radio podcast At lasta glorious look at the gifts of aging! Winters Graces takes readers on a magnificent journey through the later years, in all their joy and fullness. Mary Ann Clark, RN, retired Winters Graces is full of grace. For me, reading it was like opening a treasure box and discovering that a time of life I was anticipating with some dread is actually rich in beauty and many other blessings. I envision groups of women coming together to receive its reassuring wisdom and to be awakened to the inviting possibilities that age has to offer. Margaret Potts, retired teacher Dr. Susan Stewarts book is a gift to all of us who are making the transition to late adulthood. Written in a beautiful, moving, personal, and descriptive style, her work is inspiring, healing, and filled with timeless wisdom. Susans writing has reaffirmed that I am not alone with the challenges that I am facing in the second half of life, and has given me the courage and perspective to forge onward with a renewed optimism about life and all that it has to teach me. David F. Sowerby, PhD, adjunct faculty member, Sonoma State, Sofia, and Dominican Universities

Author Bio

Susan Stewart, PhD is an emerita professor of psychology, a retired psychotherapist, a speaker and workshop facilitator, and a baby boomer who recently turned seventy-two. She belongs to a womens group that has been meeting for forty-eight years. Susan is blessed with four grandchildrenNatalie (22), Madison (19), Lona (6), and Lukas (4)and two grown sons, Avery and Logan. She is a singer and cellist and loves to dance.