What does it mean to truly embrace aging—not just physically, but emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually?
Aging as a Creative and Spiritual Journey
Too often, aging is viewed through a narrow lens: loss, decline, and limitation. But what if we saw it instead as a time of expansion?
Lily speaks beautifully about how dreams, imagination, and self-inquiry have guided her through aging. Drawing on Jungian ideas and her background in creative writing, she reminds us that our inner lives deepen with time. As we get older, we have more raw material—more stories, more reflection, more questions—and this can be a wellspring for creativity, meaning, and resilience.
“The older I get,” Lily shared, “the more I realize that the unknown isn’t something to fear. It’s something to lean into.”
Finding Purpose and Voice—At Any Age
One of the most inspiring parts of Lily’s story is that she became a published novelist later in life. Her memoir isn’t just about aging; it’s a celebration of finding your voice, owning your story, and giving yourself permission to keep evolving—whether you’re 40, 60, 80, or beyond.
She also reflects on how aging reshapes our relationships, priorities, and sense of time. Through dreams, she’s discovered recurring patterns and symbols that have helped her make sense of unresolved emotions and better understand her past—and present.
Lessons for Us All
Whether you’re navigating your own path of aging, caring for a loved one, or working in the field of aging services, this conversation is a gentle reminder that getting older doesn’t mean becoming less—it can mean becoming more. More reflective, more accepting, more curious. As Lily puts it, aging is a mystery—and that’s what makes it so rich with possibility. Here’s the Youtube link to the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8bP7q-W9E0
About Lily Iona MacKenzie
Lily is the author of several novels, poetry collections, and essays. Her latest book, Dreaming Myself into Old Age, blends memoir with philosophical and creative reflection. A lifelong educator, she taught at the University of San Francisco for over 30 years and continues to mentor writers. Her work has been featured in over 165 publications. She blogs at lilyionamackenzie.com
2 thoughts on “Thanks to Joe Casciani for introducing me to his great podcast: Living to 100 Club and for this fun interview. Join us!”
I feel aging depends what you feel about it. If you keep yourself busy the targets you have in your mind to achieve then no problem of aging at all. If you do nothing and curse yourself aging for all the mishaps and troubles then aging shall bite you. So the better option is to do something at whichever age bracket you are.
Am I correct???
I love the phrase “aging shall bite you.” I think you’ve really hit a truth there! Thanks for sharing.