During my church’s coffee hour this past Sunday I found myself in conversation with a politically concerned young woman who was eager to discuss Michelle Goldberg’s New York Times op-ed, “Democracy Grief is Real.” The gist of the essay is that Trump has induced profound political despair among liberals. My companion felt validated [...]
Pat Taub
Friday the 13thDebunked Did you know that Friday the 13thwas a sacred holiday during the era of the Goddess, which predated Christianity and the ascent of patriarchy? In fact 13 was considered a lucky number, but because 13 belonged to the era of women’s religions, once patriarchy was in place, the number became pejorative, like treating [...]
Pat Taub
The Real Low Down on Friday the 13th Here’s a little known fact, which I learned during my studies of Women’s Spirituality: the number 13 was originally a lucky number. Thirteen was considered the most essentially female number — the average number of menstrual cycles in a year is 13. Thirteen is also the approximate number of [...]
Pat Taub
Thousands of years ago during “The Age of the Goddess” older women, known as Crones were sought out and worshipped for the wisdom they imparted. Becoming a Crone was the crowning achievement of a woman’s life—a far cry from 2019 where our ageist and sexist culture dismisses the older women. Barbara Walker, author of The Crone describes [...]
Pat Taub
I’m seeing a new boldness among older women who are talking back when ageist behavior is directed at them. These women are standing up for themselves and for all of us when they challenge a culture that demeans the older woman. Allow me to introduce some of these badass women: Rachel, age 69, is a frequent traveler who at just 5’ struggles [...]
Pat Taub
GUEST POST by SUSAN SAINT-ROSSY If you were super rich, and had all the support you wanted from family, friends, and society (no matter what), what bold thing(s) would you choose to do with the next phase of your life? This may sound like a frivolous question, but for some women, it is THE essential question in retirement. Finding the [...]
Pat Taub
Manhattan Bound I’m off to the Big Apple this weekend to meet up with an old friend from Key West, where I lived briefly in the early 2000’s. I’m looking forward to immersing myself in art and off-Broadway plays as I take a newsbreak from all the escalating bad news here and abroad. Art museums in particular have always been a solace. [...]
Pat Taub
During a recent Sunday brunch with two single women friends both, like me, in their ‘70’s the conversation turned to sex, but not in the same way it did when we were decades younger, sharing juicy tidbits about our sex lives. This time the conversation centered on how sex had lost its appeal. One friend, B confessed to losing interest [...]
Pat Taub
Eve Ensler’s groundbreaking new book, The Apology opens with these words: I am done waiting. My father is long dead. He will never say the words to me. He will not make the apology. So it must be imagined. For it is in our imagination that we can dream across boundaries, deepen the narrative, and design alternative outcomes. Ensler [...]
Pat Taub
Alabama’s Draconian Abortion Law I’m old enough to remember when abortion was illegal and when college friends traveled out of state for an abortion. In 1973 when abortions became legal, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Now decades later anti-abortion fever is in ascendency. This week Alabama’s governor, Kay Ivey signed the cruelest [...]
Pat Taub