ABSTRACT
One common theme across most spiritual traditions is gratitude, an appreciation
for life as divine gift. In this last chapter, we emphasize a gift-centered under-
standing of spiritual resiliency for two primary reasons. First, we envision our-
selves as the grateful recipients of wonderful stories of spiritual resiliency. The
old men and women who inspired this book shared with us some of their deepest
thoughts and most salient memories. At times during the interviews, it was costly
for them to remember, but they never calculated the cost. In that sense, spiritual
resiliency is a gift that is now contained in, although certainly not limited to,
their remarkable stories.
