By Amy DelPo, Manager of Older Adult Services
May is Older Adults Month, and it’s a good time to declare that Denver Public Library is pro-aging! We want everyone in our community to embrace their aging journey so that every stage of life brings meaning, joy, connection, and growth.
We follow the wisdom of the great Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, who urged us not to just live through aging, but enjoy it. He saw the great POTENTIAL in these older years. And FREEDOM. He said that as we age, we go beyond the roles we were assigned in life and engage in a process of learning and discovery that is not possible in our youth. Jung viewed our older years as a time of dynamic creativity, internal growth, spiritual deepening, and the securing of meaning.
All of that sounds nice, I’m sure, but how to do it in practice? The first step is to reject the ageist messages from our culture that tell us we are no longer beautiful or vital or capable of learning and growing. That’s why the library offers so many classes and experiences just for folks age 50+. In the Older Adults section, you will find tons of opportunities to learn something new, from technology to poetry to art!
You will also find classes like Meditation and Qigong and Ageless Grace that are designed to help you stay healthy, connected, and centered. Finally, we have some bonus opportunities just for this Older Adults Month like The Narrators show at Buntport Theater or a viewing of the documentary Lives Well Lived (you can even attend a Q&A session with the director!).
I encourage all of you to try on this hopeful view of aging and see what a difference it makes in your life. As the saying goes, “aging†really is just another word for “living†– living fully, creatively, meaningfully, and joyfully. Try one of our older adult programs this month and throughout the year. May your best years be ahead of you!
For adults 50+ in Denver and beyond who want to live their best life right now. Here, you will find the information, resources, connections, community, and inspiration you need to make your older years your best years yet.
