How to Grow Old

a writing prompt for you + December writing hour + holiday schedule

Dec 11, 2024

Welcome to Writing in Company. This is a community for you, whatever your experience with writing. It’s an invitation to write about what matters—grief, gratitude, grace, and more. Each week I share some words and a writing prompt, meant to be jumping-off points. Use the prompts however you like—to journal, to draft thoughts for your own writing project, as meditation or prayer ideas, or for another creative endeavor. You can always look back through the archive for more ideas. Grab your pen and paper, and let your words loose on the page.

I’ve made the journey down the highway to Florida again this week to help my parents with some medical needs. The trips are coming closer together, and they take more time both coming and going, as I have to make more frequent stops now. My aging body takes longer to get here to help them with their aging bodies—these fragile, frustrating, and yet resilient bodies we inhabit. Between us, we have racked up an impressive number of surgeries, diagnoses, medications, and therapies, with new ones cropping up regularly. And we are still all pretty stubborn and independent. I’m appreciating that while I can, for all of us, as growing old—even in its indignities—is a privilege.

Grace Haley wrote beautifully about aging, and what she learned about it from her father. With source thanks to The Marginalian, here’s a bit from a piece originally written for the New Yorker in 2002—“My Father Addresses Me on the Facts of Old Age”:

My father had decided to teach me how to grow old. I said O.K. My children didn’t think it was such a great idea. If I knew how, they thought, I might do so too easily. No, no, I said, it’s for later, years from now. And besides, if I get it right it might be helpful to you kids in time to come.
They said, Really?
My father wanted to begin as soon as possible.
[…]
Please sit down, he said. Be patient. The main thing is this — when you get up in the morning you must take your heart in your two hands. You must do this every morning.
That’s a metaphor, right?
Metaphor? No, no, you can do this. In the morning, do a few little exercises for the joints, not too much. Then put your hands like a cup over and under the heart. Under the breast. He said tactfully. It’s probably easier for a man. Then talk softly, don’t yell. Under your ribs, push a little. When you wake up, you must do this massage. I mean pat, stroke a little, don’t be ashamed. Very likely no one will be watching. Then you must talk to your heart.
Talk? What?
Say anything, but be respectful. Say — maybe say, Heart, little heart, beat softly but never forget your job, the blood. You can whisper also, Remember, remember.

a writing prompt

Start with this:

The main thing is this — when you get up in the morning you must….

December Writing Hour - Sat. Dec 21 | 4-5 pm Eastern

My next live writing hour on Zoom for paid subscribers is in two Saturdays. If you want to write in company with others, you are welcome to join in. You can upgrade your subscription for a month ($7) just to try it. A separate email to paid subscribers will go out with the link, or you can find it on my Substack tab called Writing Hours. Let’s write together.

holiday posting schedule

I’m taking a few weeks off regular posting to try and finish a writing project, and spend time with family. My Wednesday posts will resume on January 8th. I’ll see some of you online for the Writing Hour on December 21. I’ve also got some workshop plans for 2025, so stay tuned for that. Holiday blessing to you all. Keep writing!

like/comment/share

Join in the conversation with others in the comments. Tell me what you think about the prompt, or where your writing takes you.

Writing in Company