As I move toward my 80th year, one thing stands out: curiosity and wonder have never left me. They were my companions in youth and remain so now. Even as life narrows in some ways, curiosity keeps the mind wide open. Wonder allows me to look at the world , no matter how familiar , […]
Next year I’ll be turning 80, as will many of my close friends. It’s a milestone that gives me pause , not because I feel “old,” but because it feels like the right moment to look back, look around, and look forward. Over the next two posts, I’d like to share some reflections on reaching […]
This continues mytwo-part series on the barriers seniors face to connection and inclusion. In Part 1, I explored individual and life transition factors such as retirement, loss of loved ones, and changes in health. In this second part, I turn to environmental and societal challenges that shape seniors’ opportunities to connect and contribute. In addition […]
This article is the first in a two-part series exploring why many seniors feel excluded and disconnected, and what can be done to change that. In this first piece, I look at the personal and life transition factors that shape seniors’ experiences of isolation. When Margaret retired after 40 years as a nurse, she looked […]
A friend of mine sent me an email that talked about what a difference a century makes, he circulated the information, and it is interesting and some of it is not true. So, here is a table tha it more realistic. His original 1925 stats are a colorful mix, some accurate (like home births), others […]
As I reflect on the conversations that sparked these posts, the woman who thought our association was too cliquey, the 84-year-old who felt too young to join, and the 80-year-old widow who discovered adventure later in life, I see two themes weaving together. On one side, we have the importance of connection. Senior centers and […]
When I think back to the woman who proudly told me she was “too young at 84,” and the member who declared she was more adventurous at 80 than she had ever been before, I see a clear truth: the meaning of “old age” is changing. Our parents and grandparents may have accepted aging as […]
At that community event, when the woman told me she didn’t want to join our seniors’ association because it was “too cliquey,” I couldn’t help but think about how first impressions can last a lifetime. She had visited once, ten years ago, and walked away convinced she didn’t belong. The truth is, she probably wasn’t […]
When people think about health in later life, they often picture exercise routines, healthy diets, or regular doctor visits. And while all of these are important, there’s another ingredient that is often overlooked: social connection. The truth is that loneliness can be just as damaging to health as smoking or poor nutrition. Seniors who are […]
The conversation that began at our community booth kept rolling around in my head. First came the lady who said she was “too young” at 84. Then came the member of our association who declared she was more adventurous at 80 than she had ever been before. These two stories got me thinking about something […]
