Frederic M Hudson in the book, “The Adult Years – Mastering The Art of Self-Renewal” (1999) suggests that our stages throughout life are a series of cyclical transitions where we expand with plans and dreams in life and then as a result of the occurrences of events and circumstances we face disappointments and failures and enter into a period of cocooning where we contract and reinvent ourselves. I would suggest that we can learn something from each of these stages and ultimately come out of it with a deeper understanding of what is more deeply sustaining and important in life. These periods of cocooning also provide an opportunity to address the deeper issues related to life and to explore a belief system that explores beliefs about existence in general that can assist in providing a source of a permanency and sustainability through those transitions in life. Although Frederic Hudson does not address spirituality as part of his book, in my work with patients as they become older and more mature, addressing the topic of spirituality as part of a life cycle often becomes of greater importance when handling declining health, loss of loved ones, or dealing with unresolved issues pertaining to past behaviors earlier in life. There can be comfort in knowing that there is something beyond our own human frailties and that there is a loving God who offers grace, restoration, and wholeness beyond our past failures and shortcomings. http://emapdrschulz.com