I Discovered One Perspective By Talking With Mrs. Bonnie Yost

Late Adulthood can be a time of distress or fulfillment. It will likely include deep feelings of loss and grief, and may also include a sense of hope and joy. Despair can come from the experience of loss, missed opportunities in the past, declining health, losing friends and family, and an ever-approaching unknown future. Hope and positivity are derived from a sense of purpose and meaningfulness (Berger, 2014, p. 733). How does someone in Late Adulthood successfully navigate this time of life? I discovered one perspective by talking with Mrs. Bonnie Yost. Bonnie grew up in a religious (Christian) home with loving parents. Looking back at her life, using Erikson’s stages of development, she developed a sense of trust rather than mistrust in†¦show more content†¦Bonnie commented on her growth experience, â€Å"How much of that comes from genetics and God’s gifts, versus environment, I don’t know. But whether it was developed or whether it was innate, if conflict came at me, my tendency would be to fight back† (B. Yost, personal communication, July 19, 2016). She conveys a sense of confidence in herself without shame or doubt, guilt, or feelings of inferiority. Adolescence, for Bonnie was not a tumultuous time. Rather, confusion was not overwhelming for her. She developed a clear sense of who she is and, as she says, â€Å"I’m comfortable with it† (B. Yost, personal communication, July 19, 2016). Having a stronger sense of herself, peer pressure did not weigh heavily during this time of life. She was active in gymnastics and developed numerous friends, however, she resisted the â€Å"in crowd† because the manipulation and social climbing that was involved in that group was not attractive to her. Although, she recalls one of her peers commenting to her that he felt like she was â€Å"stuck up† since she rather ignored them. She had not realized how others perceived her and tried not to be so dismissive thereafter. Bonnie entered into marriage during the early stages of young adulthood. Her husband, rather than being drafted into the military, joined the Air Force and became a pilot. After training, he was deployed to Thailand where he flew during the Vietnam War. Spouses were not allowed on this deployment,