If you’re casting about for a way to take the edge off Trump’s wrecking ball, I heartily recommend the uplifting powers of a great...
Older Women
A Thumbs Up for “Transparent,” a new Amazon Prime Series
My favorite part of winter in Maine is the excuse to hibernate, make soup, dig into my pile of unread books, and, best of all, binge on online shows, which is how I kicked in the New Year. After reading rave reviews of “Transparent” in The New Yorker, I decided to give it a chance. I was instantly smitten with this new Amazon Prime series [...]
Pat Taub
What To Do When the Holiday Blues Strike
If you’re an older woman who lives alone; if your family is scattered far and wide; if you recently lost a partner or spouse; if you have limited mobility due to income or health concerns, you might dread the winter holidays, feeling like they’re a curse since they tend to magnify your isolation. To add to your holiday blues, you might [...]
Pat Taub
Don’t Peg Me as Your Run-of-the-Mill Old Lady
In 2015 older women (and men) are redefining old age, embracing it as a complex, even rich period in our lives. We rail against the prevailing stereotypes of the bent-over elderly person hobbling along with a cane or a disgruntled old bag. We are a diverse group, reflecting a wide range of older adults. While I fit the cultural stereotype [...]
Pat Taub
Managing Loss on a Personal and Global Level
For me, the absolute worst aspect of aging is the accumulated losses. Death becomes all too frequent a visitor. Dear friends stricken with cancer or suffering tragic deaths leave me in far greater numbers than when I was younger. And now, there’s the global loss of hundreds of lives in Paris, adding to my almost daily grief for the mounting [...]
Pat Taub
The Trap of Being a Strong Woman
From time to time, I will publish a post for “Flashback Friday” from my prior blog. This post was first published in February, 2013. It remains relevant in that many older single women function well living solo. But when they experience loneliness, they feel unable to fess up to it because they are regarded as “strong,” [...]
Pat Taub
History’s Mean Trick: From Wise Woman to Witch
For several hundred years during Europe’s Middle Ages old women played a central role. In village after village they were revered as healers, midwives, and caretakers to the dying. In the mid 1500’s as the Catholic Church sought to extend its power, the influential village wise women were a clear threat to a looming patriarchy. Church [...]
Pat Taub
It’s Carpe Diem Time!
Carpe Diem, the Latin phrase that means “seize the moment,” is often bantered around to inspire one to take advantage of the present moment, or not to postpone til tomorrow what you can do today. For older women, carpe diem is especially relevant. We don’t have a lot of time. If a new opportunity greets you, why not embrace it rather [...]
Pat Taub
Women Making a Difference: Kathy Kelly
It doesn’t happen every day, but when it does you are visibly moved. You’re in the presence of an individual whose commitment, passion and tireless work for humanitarian causes stops you in your tracks. Kathy Kelly is one of those women who stops you in your tracks. Her record as a peace activist stretches back to 1978. Kathy’s petite [...]
Pat Taub
WOW: A Blog for Older Women, 60+
Creating a Conversation: Welcome to my new blog, “Women’s Older Wisdom,” or WOW. I want to fill a gap in the blogosphere for blogs addressed to women past 60, bucking the current trend where blogs for older women consist largely of fashion and beauty tips, as if successful aging depended on looking young! I refuse to buy into our [...]
Pat Taub
Does Dining Alone Intimidate You?
When I tell other women my age that I frequently eat out alone, they tend to look at me like I have two heads. When they catch their breath, they say something like, “Aren’t you embarrassed?” Or, “How did you work up the nerve?” I understand their reactions. It’s not always easy for me to walk into a restaurant alone. More often [...]
Pat Taub