In the end-of-life planning workshops I facilitate, the same question comes up again and again: How do I deal with my family? More specifically, how do I tell a son, daughter, niece, nephew, or spouse what I want to happen when I can no longer speak for myself? What sits beneath that question is something […]

When I was a young teacher, I experienced burnout. I reached a point where I was genuinely prepared to walk away from the profession altogether. In the mid-1970s, burnout wasn’t something we talked about. At least not in my circle. If you were overwhelmed, exhausted, or questioning your choices, the message was simple: deal with […]

I have rheumatoid arthritis and have lived with it for several years now. So far, I’ve been lucky. The disease has shown up in my shoulders, my back, and my ankle, but with treatment I’ve been able to keep going. When I was first referred to a specialist, she was skeptical. Rheumatoid arthritis, she told […]

Golf has been part of my life for about twenty-five years. I enjoy it, though I’ll be the first to admit I’m not very good at it. and never will be, for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is simple: I don’t spend enough time on it. I play once a week with […]

Over the years, I’ve known many hardworking, ambitious, generous people. The kind who step forward when others hesitate. Leaders who take on difficult issues, knowing full well that success isn’t guaranteed, but effort matters. They don’t always win, but they don’t walk away either. Some of them, when they retired, simply shifted direction. New projects, […]

When we talk about “the future,” it often sounds distant,  something meant for younger generations or science fiction movies. But for today’s seniors and caregivers, the future has already arrived, quietly and steadily, offering new tools that can support independence, connection, and quality of life. Many older adults hear reassuring words from their doctors: “Nothing […]

There is an email floating around called a new alphabet for mature minds or something like that. I read it and it was funny but I thought it could be more positive. So here is my new alphabet for mature minds. Enjoy. New Alphabet for Mature Minds “A” is for “apple” and “B” is for […]

 Some fun for February one for each day of the month; enjoy 1.      She was only a moonshiner’s daughter, but I miss her still 2.      What do you call a pig with laryngitis? Disgruntled 3.      Why is “dark” spelled with a k and not c? Because you can’t “c” in the dark 4.      Just so […]

 My cousin Lorraine sent me this, I adapted it for my age and added some ideas so that those who are my age can have Dignity and possibility. I am in my 80th year, so, I sat in my favorite chair, looked back at my life, and thought and the truths I had known  all […]

 There’s a moment that happens at the end of a good visit. The dishes are done. The stories have been shared. You stand at the door a little longer than necessary, knowing you’re leaving with something with which you didn’t arrive. A new understanding. A responsibility. A quiet resolve to do things differently. This is […]