Psychospiritual Dynamics     at Midlife and Beyond

Guideposts for a Healthy & Happy Second Half of Life

By Father (Dr) Jose Parappully SDB

ST PAULS

58/23rd Road, TPS III, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050, India

sales@stpaulsbyb.com|www.stpaulsbyb.com

ISBN 978-81-19597-33-8 | Pp 340 | Rs 380

Langston Hughes, a 20th century poet, novelist, fiction writer and playwright, once wrote:

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die,

Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams go,

Life is a barren field frozen with snow.

The key to fulfilling our dreams is balanced living which, of course, is blocked by the faulty notions we harbour concerning ourselves, others and the world at large. Making that 'key' operational is PSYCHOSPIRITUAL DYNAMICS AT MIDLIFE AND BEYOND, a book that invites the reader to give the issue of 'midlife' a long and lingering look in the context of our dreams so as to do two very important things: to explore with the author the shattering of those illusions, and in the process, make one's midlife and post-midlife years meaningfully productive.

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience," says Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, famed 20th century French Jesuit philosopher. This, in a nutshell, explains what this book is all about. As a matter of fact, expounding on Psychospirituality is not every writer's cup of tea, so to say. And yet, the subject, of universal significance, affects every individual, regardless of status. It is against this background that both the author and the publishers of this book deserve to be complimented. Indeed, no work on mid-life that one comes across offers such a thoroughly detailed and panoramic treatment of such a vast range of topics in such a practical manner. Simply put, no serious seeker of life will find such interesting 'Guideposts for a Healthy and Happy Second Half of Life' as in Father (Dr) Jose Parappully SDB's PSYCHOSPIRITUAL DYNAMICS AT MIDLIFE AND BEYOND.

Fr MA Joe Antony SJ points out that "the unique merit of this book is that it combines admirably both Psychology and Spirituality. In order to find the water that will quench the thirst of our minds and hearts, Fr Parappully draws from two wells: Psychology and Spirituality. This book is a treasure" (back cover) trove from which the reader can draw much wealth. Factually, with the line between what those in religion read and write and what the lay read and write increasingly thinning to a blur, just about anyone at midlife or even approaching midlife can benefit from the contents of this book.

To make the text easily absorbable, Fr Parappully, writing from his personal experience of midlife as a spiritual transition in his growing understanding of, and relationship with, the Sacred Mystery, viz. God, divides it into three big morsels—Part I: Midlife Dynamics, Part II: Midlife Transformational Processes, and Part III: Post-Midlife Years. These morsels are further broken into easily digestible bites that make up 18 interesting chapters! And unlike the jargon many experts resort to, "Jose writes in a simple, clear and accessible style" (p 316).

Bringing out the realism of the text are the author's well-chosen personal life examples and stories, cited with compassion. It is not for nothing that Fr Joe Antony opines: "You will do well to buy copies to gift to your friends who are at midlife or have gone beyond it. Bishops and Major Superiors can achieve what they have failed to achieve over the years, simply by getting their priests or religious to read and discuss the contents of this book" (pp 317). The contents being all-inclusive, it may be emphasised here that the book will in no mean measure help even the lay reader. It does so on two counts: firstly, it can help every retiree make the remainder of their life truly "rewarding and enjoyable" (p 280). Secondly, it adequately fills the need for every Christian to understand and appreciate better the life of those in religion.

This book captures well the essence of Christian spirituality, viz. development and growth in our humanity, along the lines of Jesus' own in terms of age, grace and wisdom (cf Lk 2:52). As founder-director of the Sumedha Centre for Psychological and Spiritual Wellbeing at Jharmari, Punjab, Fr Parappully facilitates various psychospiritual training programmes and Retreats, thus giving flesh to his writings and walking the talk!

Neither the contents of the book nor its subject qualify for a quick read, or even a leisurely read as such. Of a serious nature, it is essentially meant for those seeking understanding and answers to life's predicaments. It follows, then, that our understanding of God before and after the transition involved is usually not the same, but is, in some ways, akin to the dark night of the soul. However, for the transition to be complete, taking due time to work on the questions suggested at the end of each chapter is imperative, making for a thorough introspection or self-examination.

May the efforts of both author and publishers to enhance the health and happiness of a truly wide section of readers in the second half of their life be amply rewarded!

LADISLAUS LOUIS D'SOUZA