Initially my plan in interviewing Penny Rosenwasser, a founding board member of Jewish Voice for Peace, was to highlight the work...
Healing A Mother Wound
Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and while it’s a joyful time to honor mothers, it can also be an unsettling occasion for those adult daughters with a pronounced mother wound. The holiday can reawaken a daughter’s memories of the maternal hurt she experienced growing up and which continues to affect her primary relationships. [...]
Pat Taub
Being 76
GUEST POST by EILEEN GRIFFIN I did not welcome my seventieth decade. With the arrival of my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and even the 60s, I crossed each threshold with relief or anticipation or calm acceptance, but always ready. Not so with the 70s. On my 70th birthday, I wanted to open the door and holler “Go away, scat, you have the wrong house.” [...]
Pat Taub
The Older Woman Warrior
Who’s the older woman warrior? She’s the older woman, who believes in doing her part to make her community and the world a kinder, more just place. She cares deeply about the planet her children and grandchildren will inherit. She’s not afraid to stick her neck out. She figures she doesn’t have much to lose given her advanced age. [...]
Pat Taub
Adam Toledo, Two Memorable Documentaries, Memoir Writing & More!
Adam Toledo’s Killing Police killings of unarmed Blacks reached a new low this week when 13 year-old Adam Toledo of Chicago was shot in the chest by police. He was unarmed and holding his hands in the air when he was shot. As a 7thgrader, Toledo is the youngest person to be killed by Chicago police. Will police reform ever happen? [...]
Pat Taub
Reimagining The Golden Girls in 2021
Until the lockdown took over my life, I enjoyed a mostly happy solo existence. I read for long uninterrupted periods, took spontaneous walks, cooked whatever I want and ate at odd hours. At the same time I cherished my restaurant meals with friends, meet ups at coffee houses and visits in one another’s homes. When Covid pushed me into [...]
Pat Taub
When Knowledge Gets in the Way of Finding Love
GUEST POST by MICHAEL STEINMAN We’re trained from kindergarten to know the answer, and our happiness in the classroom depends on it. At work, on a Zoom meeting, say, “I have no idea,” and the cyber-room fills with disapproving silence. Spiritually, we’re told that self-knowledge is the greatest good. Henry James wrote, “Try [...]
Pat Taub
Key West, A Movie Theater Movie, Kids in Cages, Mary Oliver
Key West Images I’m still vacationing in Key West, which is resplendent with memorable images, like the photo looking up at the island’s famous Banyan Trees, or the artful photo of “free” items arranged in front of a shot gun house. Key West is a place where photo-worthy pictures abound. [...]
Pat Taub
Obituary: The Final Writing Assignment
GUEST POST by JANET WEIL I’ve typed up many others’ documents in my time, but the single page printed in a strange reddish ink was a first for me: my father-in-law’s self-written obituary. This record of his life was too important to him to leave to others to put together. Robert “Bob” Weil was a gentleman of the old school, and [...]
Pat Taub
New Beginnings: Life Post-Lockdown
Spring’s arrival, with its warming temperatures, is perfectly timed with the gradual re-opening of our country. Many of us have now received both vaccination shots, allowing us to step into the outside world to make travel plans, tentatively dine indoors and exchange hugs with reunited loved ones. While initially the lockdown was a big jolt [...]
Pat Taub
Key West, Deb Haaland, “Hamnet” & More!
Key West Vacation I celebrated being fully vaccinated by scheduling a 6-week trip to Key West, where I’m luxuriating in the tropical temps, the ease of walking everywhere and feeling the sun on my face. Here are a few images from a recent walk: a sand sculpture, a lovely cemetery statue and the Margaret Truman launderette. When her father [...]
Pat Taub