KAYE TROUT'S BOOK REVIEWS 1

I specialize in reviewing Print-On-Demand (POD) published books for my website and Midwest Book Review. Please query for a review by email to hgunther234@hotmail.com.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

SENIOR MOMENTS by David Wayne Silva

Senior Moments
Getting the Most Out of Your Golden Years
David Wayne Silva
Outskirts Press
10940 S. Parker Rd - 515, Denver, CO USA
http://www.outskirtspress.com/
ISBN: 1598001639, $13.95, 148 pp., 2005

I particularly wanted to review this book because I’m a senior myself and just starting to enjoy the benefits of retirement–doing just exactly what I want.

David Silva was a teacher, school administrator, and family/grief counselor prior to his retirement. I’m sure his vocational history contributed to the fine quality of this POD published book. Senior Moments is a well-written, well-edited, and poetically inspirational collection of thoughts and experiences. David’s lyrical prose style makes one stop and rereading a verse or two for the pleasure and feel of it. Allow me to quote from Cricket Songs:

"Cricket songs are night sounds, much like rain falling on the roof, a mockingbird singing its ancient night song, or the neighbor’s dog barking in the distance. Crickets lull us to sleep and keep us company when we have trouble sleeping."

"The awareness of a common, taken-for-granted sound suddenly interrupted my contemplations. Once again I became aware of the ancient song of the crickets. Their melody crept in from the garden, through the open window, and over the windowsill. I could not help but wonder at the strength and beauty of the cricket song. We usually have to be alone to hear cricket songs. Their voices are a sound that lulls us back to sleep or gently wakes us, a sound that sings accompaniment to our nighttime thoughts. While I listened, night’s darkness no longer appeared quite so somber, and a pleasant sensitivity permeated my thoughts."

Senior Moments is a collection of thirty-three short inspirational stories and of these, Are There Really Miracles? was my favorite. It’s the story about David and Sallie’s two-month premature baby, Dave, which they took home from the hospital to hold while he died. Sallie had a dream that gave her the answer to keeping her baby alive . . . and he did indeed survive.

David Silva urges the reader to, "look at the process of aging with humor and good intentions–to observe the beauty in the natural world around us, to take care of our bodies, to exercise and eat a balanced diet, to maintain old and build new relationships, to maintain and reenforce our spirituality, and to laugh more and cry less."

Reviewer: Kaye Trout - February 18, 2006 - Copyright 2006

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