Tag Archives: older adults

Contemplation and Attention

Posted on August 14, 2025 by Bob Ritzema

After turning 50, prominent psychiatrist Gerald G. May started to take solitary camping trips to wilderness areas, attempting to become more connected with nature (including his own nature). His book The Wisdom of the Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of … Continue reading →

Posted in Body, Psyche, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Being Old-Old: Relationships

Posted on April 19, 2025 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve been thinking and writing about my realization that I’m not just old, but more advanced in years than what it takes to be considered old, a status I’ve called “being old-old.” I continue to think about what is changing … Continue reading →

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Being Old-Old: Time

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Bob Ritzema

I recently posted about being “old-old,” not just old but at an age where I’m not likely to have many more years of health and vitality. In that post, I described how my sense of history had changed. I’ve had … Continue reading →

Posted in Psyche | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Traveling While Old-Old

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Bob Ritzema

The last thing I posted on this site was a reflection on turning 76. I wrote: “That somehow seems much older than 75. I’m not sure what the difference is. Maybe it’s that 80 looms closer, and that landmark seems … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Psyche | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Seventy-Six

Posted on July 31, 2024 by Bob Ritzema

Age is just a number, or so they say. There’s of course more to it than that. Age is the product of one’s mind and body being subjected to innumerable influences, some beneficial and some detrimental. There’s actual changing, not … Continue reading →

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Not-At-Homeness

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Bob Ritzema

In his book “On the Road With St. Augustine,” James K.A. Smith writes about the not-at-homeness (a translation of Heidegger’s term Unheimlich) that is a familiar part of the human condition. It’s a “sense of frustration, futility, of never arriving, … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Psyche | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Year in Review

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Bob Ritzema

A year ago I was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, packing up in preparation for moving to Milwaukee. I had been there for ten years, ever since I came north to help my parents, and I had formed many attachments. … Continue reading →

Posted in Psyche, Relationships | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Divine Office

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Bob Ritzema

In my last post, I talked about worship being the center of life. I quoted Eugene Peterson: “In worship God gathers his people to himself as center: ‘The Lord reigns’ (Ps. 93:1). Worship is a meeting at the center so … Continue reading →

Posted in Spirit | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Finding the Center

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Bob Ritzema

I recently blogged about having moved into a community in Milwaukee, describing the community I’m living in. This is a big life change for me, so it’s prompting reflection and necessitating adjustment. I wanted to describe a bit more what … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships, Spirit | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Entering Community

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Bob Ritzema

My last post on this site, almost two months ago, detailed all the changes that had occurred in my life during 2022. I ended by describing my plan to move to Milwaukee to be near my oldest son and his … Continue reading →

Posted in Psyche, Relationships | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments