GUEST POST by LISA SAVAGE In this pandemic we’ve witnessed a devolution of autonomy for working mothers scrambling to accommodate the loss of daycare while holding down their jobs. As moms still on average earn less than dads — even for the same work — it’s the moms who often reduced their hours to fill the childcare gap in [...]
Pat Taub
Neighborhood Sightings I love it when my neighborhood walks yield unexpected delights. Here’s an example from this week: a compassionate door sign and modest pansy trio gracing the curb. A Neighborhood Take-Out [...]
Pat Taub
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
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
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’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
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
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 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
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