Protests against the genocide in Gaza have become intergenerational on an unprecedented scale. When I marched against the war in Vietnam,...
Aging10
Obituary: The Final Writing Assignment
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
My Soul-Full Family Holiday
GUEST POST by CAROLE LESKIN This is how I imagined it. Once Upon a Time, long, long ago, there was nothing but Darkness. A color so black it has never been seen again. And there was silence. It had been that way forever. Then suddenly, unexpectedly, millions of tiny lights, brighter than the brightest diamonds appeared. They danced in the [...]
Pat Taub
Covid Thanksgiving, Sophie Loren, A Record Setting Group & More!
Covid Thanksgiving I surprised myself by adapting to my orphaned Thanksgiving better than I had anticipated. Even though I wasn’t cooking a big turkey dinner as I have on previous years, I decided to scale-back and cook for myself as if I were my own guest. I made a turkey breast, stuffing, cranberry sauce and asparagus, topped off with [...]
Pat Taub
Casting Off Regrets
Nervously I opened my aging report card. I earned respectful grades for healthy living, close relationships and meaningful pursuits, but a low grade for managing my regrets. No surprise. I tend to resemble Lady Macbeth uttering “Out damned spot!” In my case, it’s regrets that I can’t rub out rather than blood. I’m haunted over screaming [...]
Pat Taub
What My Mask Hides
GUEST POST by CAROLE LESKIN One of my favorite songs is the 1954 Nat King Cole rendition of “Smile.” As a little girl, I remember my father playing it, smiling, and softly singing along. He was melancholy and rarely smiled. I had discovered his secret side! I inherited my father’s temperament with one distinct difference: [...]
Pat Taub
Women’s Friendships As A Lifeline
A friend once said, “If grown women had pajama parties, they wouldn’t need therapists.” She was referring to the close connections among girls that often get lost when women mature, becoming preoccupied with family and careers. Feminist psychology contends that because women are affiliative by nature they frequently find their voice [...]
Pat Taub
Dania’s Bench
GUEST POST by CAROLE LESKIN It was 7 AM when I stepped out onto my balcony to look at the sunrise. I call the balcony my tree house, because it is secluded, overlooks a trail, field and stream, is abundant with wildlife, and in the warm months, wildflowers and a garden. No matter how I feel or what lies ahead, I am soothed by the magic of [...]
Pat Taub
The Pleasures of Age
GUEST POST by EDWARD MOONEY Age is a time for looking back— on a life, on a family; on a vocation, a profession. It’s a time for pleasant memories from the past and also for present day by day enjoyments— enjoying a community orchestra, a choir, an invitation to lunch or dinner. It’s a time to phone family, to walk for a cappuccino, [...]
Pat Taub
The Trap of Being a Strong Woman
A neighbor, an elderly woman, who’s been through the mill caring for a husband with Alzheimer’s is referred to as a “strong woman.” I know several Maine women, well into their ‘70’s and ‘80’s, who have carved out self-sufficient rural lifestyles, including chopping their own wood. They too are called “strong women.” [...]
Pat Taub
Remembering Friends Who Changed My Life
One of the hardest aspects of aging for me is losing dear friends–friends I looked forward to spending time with in my dotage. In this post I’m paying homage to them, grateful for our close connections and for the invaluable lessons they gave me. Diana died just a few months shy of her 60thbirthday; Zoe was 63 and Ray [...]
Pat Taub