Senescence and Solitude

Senescence
"The organic process of growing older
and showing the effects of increasing age".

And I'd been drawn into believing that decay was un-natural and should be avoided at all costs, or at the very least, 'fixed'! Take heart oh silver haired readers.

Maybe because I will be on my way to a week-end retreat in BC in three weeks, or maybe because I'm just ready to spend some down time, what ever the reason this site devoted to Hermitary struck a cord this evening. And while there, following a link I found an article, Wabi and Sabi: The Aesthetics of Solitude that took me right back to memories of my original spiritual longings, which drew me towards the contemplative life.

Back then I had a romantic notion of what ‘the contemplative life’ would be like. Yes, perhaps living alone in an isolated place away from hustle and bustle. However, in our tradition at least, we are encouraged to be content to sit in our ‘cave’ whereever we are, alone or in a crowd. And sometimes we do retreat to a remote hermitage.