Political Ups and Downs I’m proud of Mainers for not letting up on Collins, visiting her offices across the state and jamming her phone lines to insist that she vote against the Draconian tax bill. I’m proud of Alabama’s African American women, of whom 98% voted for Jones to establish his win against the pedophile Moore. But the repeal [...]
Pat Taub
Guest Post by Walker Thornton I hate asking for help. There is no one specific reason—a mix of not wanting to seem weak or vulnerable, and fearing I’ll be turned down. I was raised in the South, by a very traditional mother who wanted a pretty, sweet daughter. I was taught boys didn’t like girls who were assertive or too talkative. I [...]
Pat Taub
Mean-Spirited Politics Take Center Stage What a week for repressive politics! The horrid tax bill passes and then Trump trumps himself by proclaiming that US embassy in Israel will be moved to Jerusalem! Al Franken resigns while child molester Moore gains traction in Alabama! The silver lining in all this seems to be a renewed progressive [...]
Pat Taub
Imagine a runaway train charging from Washington, DC to California emitting hate from its smoke stacks, collecting more venom at each station. This is what life in in the United States has become under Trump. How do we stop the Trump Hate Express? We can start by practicing compassion, a proven antidote to hate. As Martin Luther King famously [...]
Pat Taub
The Horrible, Horrible Tax Bill I’m on pins and needles anticipating today’s vote on the Draconian tax bill. I’ve phoned Senator Collins office til I’m blue in the face, urging her to vote against it. At the moment it looks like the bill will pass. Besides a big give-away to the corporate Fat Cats the bill includes an unfair tax on [...]
Pat Taub
When my brother started dating a few years after his wife passed, he was surprised that Mary Oliver’s name readily surfaced in conversations with his dates. Baffled he asked me: “Why is Mary Oliver so popular with women?” I explained: “She speaks to our soul. Her words go to the heart of our lives.” Mary Oliver, now 82-years-old [...]
Pat Taub
After blogging about aging for over two years now I challenged myself to come up with guidelines for thoughtful aging. I’ve distilled into 14 principles what I’ve learned from life experience, reading, talking with close friends and interviews with wise women. Embrace Your Failures During the 1970’s when I was studying family therapy, [...]
Pat Taub
“Compassionate Journey:” A Nonfiction Book in Pre-Publication This week I had tea with Jane Sloven (pictured below) where she shared the manuscript for her collaborative book project, “Compassionate Journey.” Jane and four other women have produced a collection of their mother stories. I’m very moved by this endeavor because it [...]
Pat Taub
If I had a time machine, I’d revisit cherished food memories, entering into those moments where food connected me to love and warm hospitality. I first invited someone to the table at age three. I had a ritual of tugging my just-home-from-work father into my playroom where a miniature tea set was centered on a child-sized table. My father [...]
Pat Taub
A Hopeful Tuesday Tuesday’s election didn’t land us where we need to be as a country, but it went a long way towards countering Trumpism. The Trump candidate in Virginia lost. Charlotte, NC elected it’s first Black female mayor. Eight transgender candidates won seats in local and state governments while sizeable numbers of women won [...]
Pat Taub