Protests against the genocide in Gaza have become intergenerational on an unprecedented scale. When I marched against the war in Vietnam,...
The New Anti-War Elder Activists
Protests against the genocide in Gaza have become intergenerational on an unprecedented scale. When I marched against the war in Vietnam, a grey-haired protester was a rare sighting. Many elders at the time shared the view of my [...]
Pat Taub
Anne Lamott7
Letting Go of Regrets
All things considered I’m managing my old age fairly well. I can check off most of the boxes for health, family, etc., but when it comes to handling my regrets, I’m often stalled. To this day I’m haunted over screaming matches with my teenage sons, impatience with my mother when she was dying, love affairs I allowed to go on way [...]
Pat Taub
How to Support One Who’s Grieving
“Grief is the price you pay for love.” Amy Bloom For a long time, as hard as I tried, I was awkward and uncomfortable in my attempts to comfort the newly grief-stricken. When a close friend or relative was hit with a death, I fulfilled my moral obligation to make contact, but no matter how often I reached out to someone who was grieving, [...]
Pat Taub
Survival Tips for 2019
When someone wishes me “Happy New Year” I’m tempted to respond, “What’s to be happy about given all the bad news in the country?” We’re faced with a government shutdown, record numbers of migrant families held in cages, a mustached war hawk Presidential advisor and massive social and income inequality. Once I settle down I realize [...]
Pat Taub
Having My Sanity Tested, Compassion, A Woman with Spirit & More!
Trying to Stay Sane! The accelerating racist and hate speech spewing from the White House and the Congressional races is making it harder and harder for me to stay sane. Recently addressing his base, Trump singled-out Greg Gianforte, the Congress member from Montana, praising him for violently attacking a Guardian reporter, saying that someone [...]
Pat Taub
Struggling to Help Someone Who’s Grieving
I wish I could say that the many deaths I’ve experienced have left me with the skills and confidence to comfort the newly grief-stricken. But that’s not the case. Every time a close friend or relative is hit with a death, I reach out with my condolences and offers of support, but no matter how many times I’ve done this, it feels awkward. [...]
Pat Taub
What Will You Do With the Rest of Your Life?
This question has been staring me in the face as my seventies flash by. When I was young it felt like I had all the time in the world to plot my future. Now my future has shrunk. I go to more funerals than weddings. I catch my children whispering behind my back, comparing notes on how I’ve slowed down. Fundamentally I have two choices: [...]
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