I’ve chosen trailblazers in literature, music, painting, political activism and medicine. Many communities lost their own notable...
Charlottesville, A Visit from My Brother & “Citizen”
Reacting to Charlottesville Like most of you, I’ve been preoccupied with last weekend’s ugly white supremacy rallies in Charlottesville. I’ve been doing what I can to raise my voice in protest. I led a discussion at my Portland church (the United Church of Christ) last Sunday. We’re formulating a plan to offer the church for community [...]
Pat Taub
How Did Aging Become So Complicated?
Both of my grandmothers lived well into their 80’s, making an easy transition into old age. Neither one took mega doses of vitamins or exercised to stave off the Grim Reaper. Nor were they bombarded with advice on how to slow the aging process. They each continued to dress up almost every day. My paternal grandmother was rarely without [...]
Pat Taub
Iceland Memories, Traveling with Grandkids & Praying for Peace
Back from Vacation Short Takes returns after a two-week hiatus when I was on vacation. I spent five days in San Francisco and then flew to Chicago where my grandkids live. We flew from Chicago to Iceland to join a National Geographic Family Expedition. Icelandic Women Older women in Iceland display a confidence and ease with aging, very [...]
Pat Taub
What I Learned in Iceland
I was prepared for the soaring natural beauty of Iceland but not for what it taught me about the power of community. This tiny Northern country, the size of Kentucky with just 350,000 people, a third of which live in the capital of Reykjavik, and the other two thirds in small fishing villages or in remote farms, has a long history of a rapid [...]
Pat Taub
Milestone Birthdays – the Gift that Keeps on Giving
by Shelly Schlueter, Guest Blogger Professional boxers like to say that everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth. Milestone birthdays can be that punch. On the other hand, there is also a Zen saying, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” At 50, the waters of life can get downright roiling. So, how was [...]
Pat Taub
Parenting Adult Children
by Lisa Savage, Guest Blogger One of the rites of passage for an elder mom is when her children become full-fledged adults. Do they still need our nurturing? What’s the best way for a mom of adults to transition to offering support that both meets her need to nurture and her grown child’s need to be acknowledged as capable? Things have [...]
Pat Taub
Sisters-in-Law, Hats, A New Park & Iceland Bound
Thinking of My Sister-in-Law I have great respect for Phyllis, my sister-in-law, who has been a lifelong activist for peace and justice. In the past three years she has suffered three hard deaths: her husband, her beloved brother, and her ex-husband, the father of her two children. I will hold Phyllis in the light this weekend as she marks [...]
Pat Taub
My Time is Running Out!
As I move through my 70’s I’m forced to face the fact that I’m running out of time. It feels scary. I’m healthy and financially secure, but no one lives forever. How much time do I have left: 15 years, 20 years? The last 15 years raced by. If the next 15 years are going to be equally accelerated, how can I make the most of them? How [...]
Pat Taub
Bastille Day, Cool Older Maine Women & Practicing Gratitude
Happy Bastille Day to All You Francophiles! I’ve had the good fortune to celebrate Bastille Day in France. I was just 19 and spending the summer in the small French town of Chambon-sur-Lignon in the French Alps. I was part of an international work camp helping out at a secondary school. The Bastille Day celebration went on into the wee hours [...]
Pat Taub
A Daughter-in-Law’s Take on Mothers-in-Law
by Edwige Charlot, Guest Blogger This post is a response to “Why Do Mothers-in-Law Get A Bad Rap?” published on WOW on June 20th . From my time as the girlfriend, I knew that if my then boyfriend and I ever got married I’d be marrying into his family. By the time we were engaged, I was already well versed in the mother- in-law [...]
Pat Taub