The context that time brings to life

When looking back at your life as a senior, some of your decisions you thought were mistakes—were not mistakes at all in view of the broader context that only time can bring.

I’ve interviewed hundreds of seniors about their lives and witnessed firsthand the incredible revelation that comes when someone puts the pieces of their life together. Oftentimes, when you’re younger, driving in the fast lane of life, you can’t see or understand the future consequences of something until years or decades later.

With life review and life writing for seniors, there is a significant benefit in looking through the lens of time to see how something happened the way it did, so that another door could open down the road. A job or a relationship may have ended to put you in a time and place for something more important. What you thought was a missed opportunity was actually a dodged bullet, given what you can now understand and see.  

There are thousands of these crossroads in life, which we navigate one after the other when we’re younger. The meaning and value of our decisions at each of these crossroads, and what we view as mistakes and failures at the time, can show their true purpose later on. This review is essential to everyone in later life to make sense of their unique life journey and purpose.  

You may have always thought your path in life was about one thing in particular when, on reflection, it was actually about something else. Reviewing your journey and making sense of it as an older adult provides peace of mind and closure. I’ve seen this close up. I’m not a therapist, but I am a journalist who has been trained how to interview people and ghostwrite life stories. Based on my experience interviewing hundreds of seniors, this revelation is invaluable to them and their families.

Knowledge is power, but it’s also peace. All of your memories are within your grasp and can be accessed to offer you peace and assurance in the final chapters of life through life story writing. The outcome is that, quite often, what you thought were big mistakes in your life were just challenging transitions that eventually led you to a better place.