Resources
From here you can download PDF files of resources from the book, Side by Side: The Sacred Art of Couples Aging with Wisdom & Love.
Downloads
Click to download PDF files:
- Touchstones for Couples’ Group Work, Appendix II (PDF)
- The Beatitudes for Couples (pages 10-11 from Side by Side)
- Ten Questions to Reflect on Your Marriage, samples from the Readers’ Guide (PDF)
- Side by Side Soup & Story Supper Club Instruction Manual (PDF guide for hosts)
- Free Sample Chapters
In the News
Visit this page for links to podcasts and articles featuring Caryl and Jay’s ongoing conversations about couples aging with wisdom and love.
The Beatitudes for Couples
Click to download large-print handout
Blessed is the couple who welcomes Divine Presence into their midst, for they shall know Eternal Belonging, grace, and love.
Blessed is the couple who embraces all seasons of life, the perennial cycles of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, for they shall know wholeness.
Blessed is the couple who welcomes the stranger in each other, for they will find wonder and encouragement on their growing edges.
Blessed is the couple who confronts their own shadows, for they shall be freed from blame and projection.
Blessed is the couple when they listen deeply to each other, for they shall be seen, understood, and met.
Blessed is the couple who practices compassion, for they shall honor the Spark of the Divine in all of their brothers and sisters.
Blessed is the couple who cares about the other’s needs as much as their own, for they shall enjoy the fruits of mutuality.
Blessed is the couple when they extend tender care to one another when suffering, diminished, wounded, or shamed, for you shall be comforted.
Blessed is the couple who recognizes the Indwelling Spirit in all of life, for they shall encounter the Mystery and see the Light in all beings.
Blessed is the couple who dance with the tension between “me” and “we,” for they will know companioning without loss of self.
Blessed is the couple who openly and humbly address conflict, for they shall find truth, reconciliation, and freedom from violence.
Blessed is the couple who practices Sabbath through the daily bread of devotion, mindfulness, and prayer, for they shall find Home.
Blessed is the couple who extends mercy and forgiveness, for they shall be relieved of resentment and harsh judgment.
Blessed is the couple who offers a beneficial presence across the generations, for they shall leave a legacy of love.
Blessed is the couple who celebrates life with the Spirits of tomfoolery, shenanigans, creativity, and play, for they shall know humor and mirth, and have some really good times.
Copyright © 2023. Side by Side: The Sacred Art of Couples Aging with Wisdom & Love by Caryl & Jay Casbon.
A Side by Side Soup and Story Club, Bend, Oregon
There are a number of Side by Side Soup & Story Supper Clubs forming across the country, meeting regularly to share a meal, swap stories around the table, and then engage in a book discussion, using the resources in the Reader's Guide at the back of the book. The instructions for these groups are available as a free download in the resources listed above. Please contact us if you wish our support in forming a group!
“The experience of aging, as well as intimate relationships, belongs to the geography of the soul.”