When you think about life after 40, do you picture a glass as half-full or half-empty? What are some of the words that come to mind when you think of midlife? How do you feel when talking about midlife and aging with others?   For me, I dreaded talking about aging. Every time I attended […]

“Clap, clap, 5-6-7-8” calls Clay’s voice over the Buenos Aires accordion music. Around the town-recreation hall many lips silently count steps and the occasional head is bent to watch the foot work. Another Tango lesson has begun. Unlike other styles, tango is a “walking” dance. Typical ballroom dances may have ‘proven’ to you that “you […]

My friend, Bob Watson, mentioned in passing that his 85-year-old mother made a tandem parachute jump for the first time in her life.  I was fascinated and inspired by this brave act because, based on what I’ve observed, as people age they often become more cautious in their actions.   Geraldine Watson is a great […]

Dear Barbara, My mother is 84 with multiple medical issues and increasing cognitive impairment. She has in the past and even now expresses that she no longer wants to keep “exiting” and doesn’t know why she is still alive. I don’t know how to help her. I hear this frequently from families as their person […]

This is The Right Side of 40, a newsletter about Everything to do with Midlife and Beyond. Subscribe now Originally Published on https://deborahheiserphd.substack.com/

The More That You Read, The More Things You Will Know. The More That You Learn, The More Places You’ll Go. ~Dr. Seuss It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was planning summer books to keep my kids entertained and not lose what they learned during the school year for summertime. However, it is […]

The little girl sat quietly with her hands crossed at her wrists. She smoothed out her dress with the frills on the skirt nervously.  Her guardian had told her she needed to be on her best behavior because a lady was coming to meet her. At five years old Donna was what her teachers described […]

Ron at his gorgeous white piano Listen & subscribe on iTunes … on Spotify …  or anywhere else What do Gladys Knight, Dolly, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Big Bird have in common? They have all benefitted from the musical genius of Ron Oates!  Ron has more success in music than most Music Row executives these days, with stories to […]

So you’ve just been diagnosed with migraine. Your mind is probably racing in search of answers to questions you haven’t had a chance to formulate yet. Have a seat, my friend. Let’s chat about your newly identified condition. First, I’d like to say I’m sorry you must join the millions of people with migraine. Second, […]

In today’s world of instant information, uncertainty, cruelty, and differences in ideas, what is the true role of parents? Obviously, parents provide their children with food, clothing, and a place to live. They also are to provide financial support, medical care, and the opportunity to receive an education. And they are to protect their children […]