This Is Getting Old Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity

by Moon, Susan

• ISBN13: 9781590307762
• ISBN10: 1590307763
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-08
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

In this warm and funny collection of essays on the sometimes confusing, sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious condition of being a woman over sixty, Susan Moon keeps her sense of humor and she keeps her reader fully engaged. The wry and insightful pieces include a letter of gratitude to her bones for serving her as well as they do; observations on the paradox of finding herself both an orphan and a matriarch following the death of her mother; musings on her tendency to regret missed opportunities; confessions of her fear of going blind; celebratory advice on regarding "senior moments" as opportunities to be in the here and now; thoughts on how not to be afraid of loneliness and how to honor the inner tomboy; and inspiration for considering everyone as oners"s grandchildren. To learn more about the author, visit her website at www.susanmoon.wordpress.com.

Author Biography

Susan Moon is a writer and longtime Zen Buddhist who teaches popular writing workshops, mostly in California. She is the former editor of Turning Wheel: The Journal of Socially Engaged Buddhism. She lives in Berkeley, California.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
Cracks in the Mind and Body
Where Did I Put My Begging Bowl?	p. 3
Stain on the Sky	p. 10
Leaving the Lotus Position	p. 21
The Breathing Tube	p. 26
Old Bones	p. 40
All Fall Down	p. 49
Senior Moment, Wonderful Moment	p. 55
Changing Relationships
In the Shade of My Own Tree	p. 61
Exchanging Self and Other	p. 70
House of Commons	p. 79
Getting Good at Staying Still	p. 85
Grandmother Mind	p. 93
What If I Never Have Sex Again?	p. 99
Becoming Invisible	p. 103
The Tomboy Returns	p. 108
In the Realm of the Spirit
Tea with God	p. 119
I Wasn't My Self	p. 122
You Can't Take It with You	p. 133
The Secret Place	p. 138
Talking to My Dead Mother	p. 144
For the Time Being	p. 153
Alone with Everyone	p. 160
This Vast Life	p. 168
Acknowledgments	p. 173
Credits and Permissions	p. 175
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