It’s been just one week since Trump won the Presidential election, catapulting many into despair, terrified of his campaign pledges...
Aging Thoughtfully10
After the Sobbing, the Sorting
Guest post by Janet Weil A favorite Jack Kornfield book title of mine is “After the Ecstasy, the Laundry” — modern stories and ancient tales of dealing with life’s day-to-day challenges after the ecstasy of spiritual epiphanies. That phrase frequently ran through my mind as I faced a long to-do list after my mother, [...]
Pat Taub
The 30-Day WOW Self-Care Plan
Hearing about the “Whole 30 Diet,” the latest health craze which consists of a 30 day adherence to a strict diet whose followers claim is life-changing, got me thinking, “What about a 30-day Self-Care Plan?” If you’re like me you tend to think of self-care when the chips are down. That’s when you schedule a massage or take a bubble [...]
Pat Taub
Can We Please Stop Hating Our Older Bodies!
When I set out to photograph images of older women to post on this blog, I never dreamed I’d meet with so much resistance. Two thirds of the women I asked to photograph turned me down. Sometimes it was a flat “No” uttered in motion as the woman hurried along. Other times I’ve received comments like: “I’m too old. Me? At my age! [...]
Pat Taub
Honoring Our Mother Line
Reading Deborah Tannen’s piece in last week’s New York Times entitled, “My Mother Speaks Through Me,” it dawned on me that as I age I’m becoming more and more like my mother. My younger self would have fumed at this comparison, but my older self honors it. My everyday life has been enriched by adopting some of my mother’s habits: [...]
Pat Taub
Positive in My 70’s
As another birthday approaches I have basically two choices: to agonize over my advancing age OR to look at the glass as half full and take stock of what is positive about being in my seventies. While there are unwelcome aspects to aging, like diminished energy and physical agility, sleep problems and occasionally missing a companion, I refuse [...]
Pat Taub
Discovering Joy
Sometimes a book comes into your life at exactly the right moment, offering a path forward that was formerly invisible to you. This was my experience with The Book of Joy, a week-long conversation between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, aptly facilitated by Douglas Abrams, the book’s editor. When a friend recommended The [...]
Pat Taub
My Web Designer, Texas & Polka Dots
My Brilliant Web Designer This week I had one of my periodic meetings with my brilliant web designer, Edwige Charlot. When I started WOW two years ago I knew virtually nothing about designing a blog or pitching it. Working closely with Edwige we settled on a design I love and one that continues to receive many compliments. She’s also been [...]
Pat Taub
The Choice is to Cooperate or Struggle Alone
Guest Blog by Toni Kief Responding to a challenge, I started to write at the age of 60. I stumbled along with a shared project and when it was over I had a new passion. I was in sore need of inspiration, so I searched online and discovered Meetup.com. I found a group just starting out, the Writers Kickstarter and signed on. We were a group [...]
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
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