Alive Until You’re Dead: Notes on the Home Stretch by Susan Moon

“You don’t know how long you’re going to live” are the first words of this book. Susan Moon is a Buddhist teacher, retreat leader, and writer. She presents a Zen approach to aging by saying aging isn’t easy but can be joyful. She invites us to not look away from difficulty and get to know it.

With the same wit and wisdom as her earlier writing about age (This is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity), she speaks with humor and perspective on grandchildren, knee replacements, and a host of other curiosities at this time of life.

Here are her four practices to take on with aging:

• Observe. This is how it is right now.

• Adapt. Do it differently from the way you used to do it.

• Let go. If you can’t find a way to do it differently, let it go altogether.

Accept. This is how it is right now.