Joan Chittister, one of the most celebrated spritual writers of out time, encourages us to cherish the blessings of older age and to overcome it's burdens. She embraces ageing as a natural part of life that is both active and contemplative, productive and deeply rewarding. We need to take a stand against age discrimination and resist the illusion of eternal youth. We need to surmount our fears of getting older and find the beauty of what it means to age well. This is a special period of life - maybe the most special of all. To live these years well, we need to look at every one of them head up and alive. Life is not about age, about the length of years we manage to eke out of it. It's about ageing with grace, about living into the values offered every day.

Perhaps the most important dimension of ageing well lies in the awareness that there is a purpose to ageing. Old age rewards us with wisdom and freedom. Old age enlightens - not simply ourselves, but those around us as well.