What's Worth Knowing
"Tending a garden isn't so different from raising children. Plants like to grow when you spend time with them. Don't keep the whole crop for yourself. There are always people who don't know how to make things grow, and they probably need your tomatoes more than anybody else." --Giuseppe Maestriami, age 85.Though some may say that age and wisdom do not necessarily go hand in hand, this affecting volume of personal stories proves just the opposite. All the 104 seniors who offer their thoughts in this volume of reflections have something vital to say about what they found to be most true, most important about life. There are those who regret their choice of partners or jobs, those who found great joy in the little things, as well as those who no longer speak to their children. No matter what their life circumstances or philosophy, each person's singular perspective, flawed or otherwise, shines through in these pungent bits of advice on work, faith, love, and loss. Listen to 75-year-old Christina Martinez: "You shouldn't go around complaining that this one's a fool and that one's a fool. They're everywhere, and you should be glad. You'd be nowhere without the fools. They show you how you don't want to be."Author Wendy Lustbader, an authority on aging and a mental health counselor, interviewed her subjects over several years, and what emerged was this record of refreshing candor. Artfully edited to capture the cadence and flavor of the individual contributor, each one-page story resonates with a spirit of great generosity and honesty. A short, touching biographical note and sometimes a photo accompanies each. In truth, much of the advice contained here can be summed up in a few well-worn clichés--savor the moment, follow your heart, cherish your loved ones--but taken together, these reflections create a powerful chronicle of human foibles and triumphs. Read this collection slowly, savoring it a story at a time. As Lustbader writes in her introduction, "I think you will see, as I have, that there is nothing sweeter than being able to live the middle of one's life with the perspective of the end."--Marianne Painter