The Meaning Is in the Dirt:
Meditations on Life's Richness

From the authors of Making Meaning in Older Age and Older Adults: Understanding and Facilitating Transitions (now in its third edition)

Many demands in life can impede meaning-making. The pressures of work, ongoing education, raising a family, caregiving for older relatives—and more—compete for our time to pursue meaning in life. The work of character development, the effort and discipline(s) needed for purposeful living, and learning healthy ways of dealing with adversity can get short-circuited, leaving people with a sense of internal emptiness or quiet desperation. The desire to live a perfect life, one untroubled by “messiness,” whether in our homes or in our life choices, can leave us with the nagging question: “What’s it all for?”

This book offers short and easy-to-read meditations that address making meaning through the metaphor of dirt. With their decades of working with people facing challenging circumstances, identical twins Marlette and Annette explain why making meaning is important, and they outline practical ways in which adults can find meaning in their lives. Transparent and real, the authors address the challenging circumstances we may think disturb our lives unfairly (but may, in fact, lead to greater richness), as well as discuss the impact in the world of living purposefully. The authors write with insight and warmth as well as personal experience of adversity; they provide persuasive reasoning for the importance of living intentionally and meaningfully in the messiness of life. The meaning really is in the dirt!

Softcover Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.5

Page Count: 160

Marlette B. Reed, B.Ed., MA, is a community chaplain and consultant as well as a sessional instructor in post-secondary Christian education in Calgary. She also speaks locally, nationally, and internationally on the issues germane to older adults in a variety of settings—churches, nursing homes, and conferences.

Annette M. Lane, RN, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University. Her areas of expertise include older adults with mental illness, and families. She speaks locally, nationally, and internationally about issues pertaining to older adults. Besides the books co-authored with Marlette, she has also co-authored the first Canadian edition of Miller’s Nursing for Wellness in Older Adults with Sandra P. Hirst and Carol Miller (2015).