The cartoonist, Lynda Barry, contends that most adults suffer from “play amnesia.” Living in these dark times, many overlook play...
Healing the Mother Wound
Mother’s Day can be an unsettling occasion for those adult daughters with a pronounced mother wound. A celebration of mothers can reawaken a daughter’s memories of the maternal hurt she experienced growing up and which continues to affect her primary relationships. The mother wound can be traced to a woman’s proclivity to rejection, [...]
Pat Taub
August in May, A Sudden Death, Appearing in the Boston Globe & More!
August in May Wow! Wednesday set a record for Portland, Maine with temps climbing close to 90! It was crazy in that the previous day I was wearing a spring coat and a day later I’m in a T-shirt and thin slacks. Does this portend an unusually hot summer? It certainly speaks to the erratic temps brought on by global warming. [...]
Pat Taub
Pondering My Activist Slump
In church this Sunday the progressive minister quoted the biblical passage: “To whom much is given, much is expected.” I squirmed in my seat reflecting on my white privileged lifestyle, feeling guilty about how little I’ve done to protest the Orange Monster’s wrecking machine. It’s not like I’m unfamiliar to activism. I was [...]
Pat Taub
Cosby is Nailed, Season 2 of A Hand Maid’s Tale, Gaza & More!
Justice is Served! Like women across the country I celebrated yesterday’s guilty verdict for Bill Cosby. One news story claimed he assaulted over 62 women! Let’s hope this verdict sends an alarm to other perpetrators and would-be perpetrators. Next let’s pray that before too long the Orange Monster pays for his sexual assaults! A [...]
Pat Taub
When Loss Brings Up More Than I Bargained For
This past weekend I attended the memorial service for Connie Chandler Ward, one of the founders of Greenfire, a women’s spiritual retreat center in Tenants Harbor, Maine. Connie, a former Wellesley chaplain had been a spiritual mentor to me and many others. As I rushed out the door I stuffed a packet of travel-sized Kleenex in my purse, [...]
Pat Taub
Black Prenatal Care, White Privilege, Earth Day & More
A Profound Report on How Racism Impacts Black Mothers and Infants I was very moved by last Sunday’s New York Times magazine cover story with the haunting title, “Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis.” The article documents how Black women’s serious medical conditions during pregnancy and after are [...]
Pat Taub
Is the Wellness Industry Stressing-Out Older Americans?
It seems like a paradox to accuse the wellness industry of adding stress to the lives of older Americans, yet this is a central thesis in Barbara Ehrenreich’s new book, Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, The Uncertainty of Dying and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer. Ehrenreich maintains that many older Americans are stressed-out [...]
Pat Taub
Spring at Long Last, A New Portland Discussion Group, Ann Wright & More!
Spring is Here! Today’s temps in Portland are climbing and are on track to pass 60! When I walked home from my morning’s Pilates class it was so warm I had to remove my coat. Crocuses are awakening as are daffodils. Thankfully my taxes are almost finished. If I can get them in the mail this afternoon, I’ll treat myself to my first [...]
Pat Taub
Growing Old Without a Partner
I’m all for love and romance but when our love options run out as we age, when dating is more frustrating than satisfying, wouldn’t we be happier if we accepted that love is no longer in the cards, seeking companionship among friends and family? I mentioned this to a friend who looked aghast as if I were delivering a death sentence! [...]
Pat Taub
A Tragic Loss, Oklahoma Teachers’ Strike, A Great Video & More!
The Death of a Remarkable Woman This past week Connie Chandler Ward, 82, of Tenants Harbor died in a car crash. Her sudden death has jolted her community that reaches across the country. Connie had been the chaplain at Wellesley College before leaving there to become one of the three founders of Greenfire, a women’s spiritual retreat [...]
Pat Taub