After the death of our dear friend William H. "Bill" Martindill in 2010, I wrote in my journal that someday I would write a book for those growing older. Sadly, many newly retired individuals I spoke with said they felt irrelevant. Bill died at age 100, and never felt irrelevant. Instead, he remained actively engaged in what was going on in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, until the day he died. Bill was like a father to me, always encouraging me to keep writing my stories and not to get discouraged or to be shy about sharing my stories with others. Thanks to Bill, and many others who have encouraged me throughout the last four or five decades, my dream of writing and publishing this book is a dream come true. My hope now is that after reading Distilled Wisdom for Growing Older Without Growing Old, you will be inspired to write and share your own stories, too. Write on, write on, write on, Pamela Harman Daugavietis