aging and spirituality

Early in 2026, I started a Spirituality of Aging Club through ESCOM. 

I started it because my own aging journey began early, shortly after I turned forty. That's when spinal problems ended my surgical career, which soon led to additional somatic and mental health problems, many of which are more common in late life rather than middle age. This premature aging grew out of childhood adversity, which has been shown to cause health problems that get more common as we age (heart disease, cancer, etc). By causing inner turmoil and stress, early hardship increases rates of tobacco and other substance dependence, as well as mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Both the stress and the unhealthy behaviors that attempt to alleviate it are hard on the body, causing inflammation, excess muscle tension, poor body mechanics, deconditioning, etc. The body ages more rapidly than it would under less stress, with healthier behavior patterns.

Of course, we don't need childhood adversity to age. Even people from happy homes who lead relatively easy and healthy lives experience aging, with its declines in function, changes in appearance, proneness to illness, etc. Everyone has to deal with it, sooner or later. Because I began grappling with aging issues at a younger age than many, and because I'd found myself growing more spiritually motivated as a result, starting a Spirituality of Aging Club felt natural. It seemed like I'd learned some strategies that might help others, including those who hadn't faced a slew of aging issues in midlife.

I've recognized more recently that there was also a self-serving aspect to my launch of the club. I wanted (needed?) to talk with and learn from others. In that sense, at least, the club has succeeded. It's been very helpful to me. I hope it helps others, and from report I believe it has. But I can say with certainty that exploring these topics in community has proven very healing to myself.

Soon after the club began, I started a Spirituality of Aging Resource Page. It archives the material I sent out prior to each meeting. Often these were existing writings and recordings, such as blog posts, Youtube videos, and books. Sometimes I wrote my own essays about upcoming topics, and on occasion I asked AI to collect information for me, then added its output to the resources. Beyond what I found to place on the resource page, I added resources suggested by other members of the Club. If you're interested in the spirituality of aging, I hope you'll take a look.