In Falling Upward, Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have gone ''down'' are the only ones who understand ''up.'' Those who have somehow fallen, and fallen well, are the only ones who can grow spiritually and not misuse ''up''. More than anything else, he describes what ''up'' (in the second half of life) will look like and could look like.
Most of us tend to think of the second half of life as largely about getting old, dealing with health issues, and letting go of life, but the whole thesis of this book is exactly the opposite. What looks like falling down can largely be experienced as ''falling upward.'' In fact, it is not a loss but somehow actually a gain, as we have all seen with elders who have come to their fullness, and life flows out from them naturally.