I’ve chosen trailblazers in literature, music, painting, political activism and medicine. Many communities lost their own notable...
Ukraine, Two Brilliant Films, Hillary Mantel & More!
Ukraine Horrors As the war in the Ukraine escalates and brings all kinds of horrors, like the possibility of a nuclear plant being struck emitting dangerous levels of radiation, and untold numbers of innocent deaths, my heart is heavy. While we need to rally around the Ukrainians, I long for less war talk and more efforts at diplomacy. For [...]
Pat Taub
How to Support One Who’s Grieving
“Grief is the price you pay for love.” Amy Bloom For a long time, as hard as I tried, I was awkward and uncomfortable in my attempts to comfort the newly grief-stricken. When a close friend or relative was hit with a death, I fulfilled my moral obligation to make contact, but no matter how often I reached out to someone who was grieving, [...]
Pat Taub
Shedding Anger
One of the most valuable lessons aging has bestowed on me is the importance of shedding anger. The less anger I hold, the more inner peace I possess. I’ve learned to release a lot of my anger by developing new narratives to replace those that made my blood boil. My new story path originated through writing about my mother. When I submitted [...]
Pat Taub
Granddaughter Jane, A Sweet Film, A Great Read & More!
Granddaughter Jane Today my granddaughter, Jane, is 18 years old! It seems like yesterday that my son called me with the news of her birth. I was living in Key West, which made David think I could somehow access Cuban cigars for him to pass out. He knew they were illegal in the States but challenged me. I went into a few seedy bars, [...]
Pat Taub
The Older Woman’s Superpowers
I’m here to announce that you, the older woman, possess superpowers. I realize this may sound a little crazy because you’re used to feeling diminished through the cultural messages which define you in terms of your aging body. But you’re much more than your wrinkles, reduced flexibility, puffy tummy and gray hair. Maturity has granted [...]
Pat Taub
Key West, Two Great Films, A Brilliant Novel & More!
Key West Lucky me, I’m still enjoying my Key West break from Maine’s crappy winter punctuated by icy roads and sidewalks. Last week my youngest son paid a brief visit. We walked a lot, beached a little and ate like the locals, feasting on Cuban sandwiches, conch fritters and the ubiquitous Key Lime pie. After sampling a few pies, we [...]
Pat Taub
My Unconventional Valentine’s Rituals
Several years ago, when I grew weary of my unpartnered Valentine’s Days limited to red construction paper hearts from my grandchildren or Internet offers of bargain chocolates, I decided to make a ritual of doing something special for myself on Valentine’s Day, so I wouldn’t feel left out. That first year I indulged in a longtime desire [...]
Pat Taub
Aging, the Gift that (Hopefully) Keeps on Giving
GUEST POST by LISA SAVAGE I hit 65 this year which is a milestone that brought many gifts: Medicare, a family party outdoors with my same-month birthday sisters, and permission to be officially old. I already had arthritic hands, an inflamed sacroiliac joint, and cataracts so bad I gave up night driving years ago. When I wake up in the morning, [...]
Pat Taub
Key West, Octavia Butler, Macbeth & More!
Key West Vacation My winter escape to Key West continues, for which I remain grateful. While the Northeast is hunkering down for the biggest snowfall of the season, Key Westers are grumbling about Sunday’s weather forecast, which predicts a high of only 58! Miami could see temps in the 30’s. It’s all relative. On a walk yesterday [...]
Pat Taub
The Week I Plunged into Despair
Last week was not a good news week for me. It left me full of despair. I agonized over the Biden’s administration failure to advance their social programs designed to help those in need, while increasing oil drilling in defiance of climate change. To make matters worse the saber rattling over Putin’s troops on the Ukraine border, kept [...]
Pat Taub