Pat Taub is a family therapist, writer and activist and life-long feminist. She hopes that WOW will start a conversation among other older women who are fed up with the ageism and sexism in our culture and are looking for cohorts to affirm their value as an older woman.
A Profound Report on How Racism Impacts Black Mothers and Infants I was very moved by last Sunday’s New York Times magazine cover story with the haunting title, “Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis.” The article documents how Black women’s serious medical conditions during pregnancy and after are [...]
Pat Taub
It seems like a paradox to accuse the wellness industry of adding stress to the lives of older Americans, yet this is a central thesis in Barbara Ehrenreich’s new book, Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, The Uncertainty of Dying and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer. Ehrenreich maintains that many older Americans are stressed-out [...]
Pat Taub
Spring is Here! Today’s temps in Portland are climbing and are on track to pass 60! When I walked home from my morning’s Pilates class it was so warm I had to remove my coat. Crocuses are awakening as are daffodils. Thankfully my taxes are almost finished. If I can get them in the mail this afternoon, I’ll treat myself to my first [...]
Pat Taub
I’m all for love and romance but when our love options run out as we age, when dating is more frustrating than satisfying, wouldn’t we be happier if we accepted that love is no longer in the cards, seeking companionship among friends and family? I mentioned this to a friend who looked aghast as if I were delivering a death sentence! [...]
Pat Taub
The Death of a Remarkable Woman This past week Connie Chandler Ward, 82, of Tenants Harbor died in a car crash. Her sudden death has jolted her community that reaches across the country. Connie had been the chaplain at Wellesley College before leaving there to become one of the three founders of Greenfire, a women’s spiritual retreat [...]
Pat Taub
Life under the Orange Monster requires time out to maintain one’s sanity. Video watching has become a favorite form of escape for many, but with Netflix and its cousins, like Amazon Prime churning out productions at a dizzying rate, choosing a video can be daunting. To facilitate your selection process I’ve developed mood categories [...]
Pat Taub
Last Weekend’s March for Gun Control I’m still reverberating from last Saturday’s March for Gun Control, still taking in the inspiring and impressive turnout of teens and their riveting speeches. I find myself looking at teenagers with a new respect. They need and deserve our full support. Here’s a photo from Portland’s march [...]
Pat Taub
What if the US had an official agency called “Learning to be Old”? Here’s how I imagine it: older women and men are scheduled for aging interviews where their aging progress is assessed followed by recommendations for a meaningful old age. When I show up for my interview I’m escorted to the women’s section and led [...]
Pat Taub
March Madness Tournament My basketball team, Syracuse, has advanced to the NCAA’s “Sweet Sixteen,” playing Duke tonight, who’s heavily favored. It may be painful to watch, but then again the Orange surprised most sports writers and me by getting this far. Out of love for his grandmother, my 12 year-old grandson, Max has promised [...]
Pat Taub
In his best-selling book, “Happiness is a Choice You Make,” the author, John Leland makes the intriguing claim, “If you want to be happy, think like an old person.” Curious about Leland’s thesis, I scooped up his book, eager for tips on being happy in my advanced years and wanting to escape the lot of the old people in my family [...]
Pat Taub