Cecile Richards died on Monday, January 20, 2025. She was the courageous President of Planned Parenthood from 2006-2018, when the organization...
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.
Alexandra Merrill: Aging Meaningfully
“I’m not done with my transformation.” Alexandra Merrill, on the cusp of 80, quoting Stanley Kunitz in his poem, The Layers, which he wrote upon turning 90. Zanda, as she is called, embodies aging meaningfully. I’m proposing substituting “aging meaningfully” with the commonly used phrase “aging successfully,” [...]
Pat Taub
Manhattan Recap, Favorite Things & Being a Mentor
Manhattan Weekend Recap Last weekend in New York City was glorious: perfect walking weather; a riveting art exhibit at the Whitney Biennial showcasing young artists whose paintings, sculpture, installations and films were all politically charged; great meals, and the powerful off-off Broadway play, Sojourners, the first in a series of nine [...]
Pat Taub
Learning a Different Voice: Feminism for Males
by Ed Mooney, guest blogger In my 20’s and 30’s, feminism seemed to open the door to reflections about being a male. It was the early seventies. Wanting to be close to the action, my wife and young son and I moved to Berkeley. It was a period of social upheaval and political violence marked by the Civil Rights struggle and the Free Speech, [...]
Pat Taub
City Garden, A Favorite Antique Shop & NYC Bound!
Continuing Weather Angst For Mainers, like myself, the old saying that “April is the cruelest month” is being amended this year to, “May is the cruelest month.” Aside from a day here and there of warm, sunny weather May has been dominated by clouds and unseasonably cool temps. I’m personally putting June on notice to bring a weather [...]
Pat Taub
Celebrating the WOW Facebook Community
Today marks my 100th posting since launching WOW in August 2015. WOW came about when, looking for resources for my course “Women and Aging,” I goggled “blogs for older women.” To my dismay the vast majority consisted of advice on how to dress younger, lure a man, up your sex drive, cosmetic surgery and the like. In other words, how [...]
Pat Taub
Farmers’ Market, Remembering My Ex & Lobster Rolls
Record Breaking Heat Wave Yesterday Portland set a record of 95 for May 19th. It was so hot I could barely move. It felt like the world might explode. A scary reminder of climate change! A Sad Anniversary Tomorrow is my ex-husband’s birthday. Marvin died a little over three years ago in a tragic drowning accident. We had a long history, [...]
Pat Taub
I Can Play Too? …if only I knew how
by Gwen McCauley, guest blogger It was 1995. I was 47. I had recently received the biggest promotion of my life through hard work, dedication and a strategic mind. And I discovered in a moment of devastating insight that I was unable to play. What the hell was wrong with me? My executive team had one of those team-building events so popular [...]
Pat Taub
Short Takes, no.2
“Short Takes” is my regular Friday post where I reflect on the past week, citing happenings of interest: a good read, social observations, and the like. Mother’s Day this Sunday: I attend a progressive inner-city church in downtown Portland led by a feminist minister. For our Mother’s Day service I will be among five women [...]
Pat Taub
Expanding Mother’s Day to Include Our Spiritual Mothers
I propose that we expand Mother’s Day so that we honor not just our biological mothers but also our spiritual mothers. Our spiritual mothers are the teachers, neighbors, aunts, family friends and others whose influence made an indelible impression on us. Frequently these women didn’t have their own children but lovingly nurtured and guided [...]
Pat Taub
Short Takes no.1
“Short Takes” is a new Friday post where I will reflect on the past week, citing happenings of interest: a good read, social observations, and the like. “The Handmaid’s Tale:” I’ve been captivated by this series, although I have to watch it in segments because it’s so powerful that it unsettles me. It’s definitely [...]
Pat Taub