Almut Bockemühl Book order

‘Growing old is a constant battle... One has the experience of being squeezed out of one’s bodily home, and one sets out to protect oneself against it, and holds on to what one can.... But when we make an effort to grow old in the right way, which means transforming what is earthly into what is spiritual, we are working at the transubstantiation of the earth.’ What is it like to live to a ripe old age? What is it like to have to look after oneself in later life, or to be cared for by others? As life expectancy in the western world continues to grow, and as people manage longer periods of old age, these questions face us on a daily basis. With great honesty yet sensitivity, the author describes, in poetically moving words and phrases, the experiences of an old person at the boundary of life. Shortly after the death of her almost 90-year-old mother, Almut Bockemühl pauses to contemplate the four years of intensive care that she devoted to her. What happened during this period of sacrifice to a dying person? Taking a thoughtful, meditative approach, she describes invaluable experiences, concluding that old age, death and dying have the potential to touch the highest spheres of human knowledge and perception.

“A woman who wishes simultaneously to find herself as an individual and to devote herself to motherhood, is caught between two extremes that are hard to how to integrate motherhood with one's deepest, personal aims?” Women today face the challenge of integrating the frequently conflicting demands of motherhood, partnership, work, and personal development. Writing from the experience of thirty-three years of marriage and raising four children, Almut Bockemühl is well qualified to understand the predicaments that women face and to offer empathy based on first-hand knowledge. Moreover, this book offers profound, spiritual direction for each woman seeking to meet the challenges of her unique biography. At the heart of the dilemma is family care and the need for individual expression in a creative capacity―self-discovery and achieving personal goals. The natural desire for children does not always mean a love of housework. Bockemühl studies such conflicts in women’s biographies and reflects on the history of feminism. She also discusses the mythical roots of motherliness and matriarchy, as well as the mothering instinct itself, exploring the spiritual dimension and meaning of motherhood, the profession of homemaking, successful relationships, and clashes between personal life and career. The central theme of this enlightening handbook is an inspiring path of personal development for mothers and women everywhere.