<DIV>Joan Chittister one of our most celebrated spiritual writers invites us to embrace older age as a natural part of life that is both active and contemplative productive and reflective and deeply rewarding. She encourages us to cherish the blessings of aging and to overcome its challenges. And she shows us clearly that this is a special period of life—maybe the most special of them all.<BR /><BR /><I>The Gift of Years</I> looks at the many dimensions of aging the purposes and concerns struggles and surprised the potential and joys. And perhaps the most important dimension of older age Joan Chittister illuminates is to become aware of its profound purpose: These are the capstone years the time in which a whole new life is in the making again. The gift of these years is not merely being alive it is the gift of becoming more fully alive than ever.</DIV>