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You’ve been productive. Good for you! Maybe you watered the garden. Maybe you took a gentle walk around the block. Maybe you decided that today was the day to scrub the front porch steps because tha…

You’ve been produc…

You’ve been productive. Good for you! Maybe you watered the garden. Maybe you took a gentle walk around the block. Maybe you decided that today was the day to scrub the front porch steps because that moss was starting to look like a shag carpet. You come inside, feeling proud. You sit down in your favorite chair. You go to stand up five minutes later, And your calf seizes up like a fist. Or your thigh cramps so hard you yelp loud enough to frighten the cat. What in the name of all that is holy just happened? You’ve met heat cramps. They are not polite. They do not send a warning card. …

Let’s talk about a very rude trick the human body plays during the Dog Days. You’re sitting outside, enjoying a gentle breeze, maybe watching a squirrel steal birdseed. You’ve been out there for…

Let’s talk about a…

Let’s talk about a very rude trick the human body plays during the Dog Days. You’re sitting outside, enjoying a gentle breeze, maybe watching a squirrel steal birdseed. You’ve been out there for a while, feeling fine. Then you stand up to go inside for that glass of iced tea you’ve been dreaming about. And whoosh. The world tilts. The sky gets sparkly. You grab the arm of the chair and think, “Did I just stand up too fast, or am I suddenly a character in a cartoon?” That, my friends, is heat syncope. Fancy name for a simple problem: your blood vessels, in their infinite Wisdom, …

Well, here we are. The calendar has flipped past the Fourth of July, the hummingbirds are drinking like they just ran a marathon, and your favorite rocking chair on the porch has turned into a griddle…

Well, here we are. T…

Well, here we are. The calendar has flipped past the Fourth of July, the hummingbirds are drinking like they just ran a marathon, and your favorite rocking chair on the porch has turned into a griddle. That’s right, friends. It’s the Dog Days of Summer. Now, before you go looking for Duke or George lounging in their kiddie pools, let’s get one thing straight: this has nothing to do with actual dogs. No matter how much your basset hound is flopped on the tile floor like a fuzzy throw rug, the “Dog Days” aren’t named for him. Here’s the fun trivia to impress your grandkids (or bo…

Did ;you know that there is a new day of awareness and action in the United States, dedicated to women’s Retirement Security. Women's retirement journeys are rarely identical. Women face unique ret…

Did ;you know that t…

Did ;you know that there is a new day of awareness and action in the United States, dedicated to women’s retirement security. Women's retirement journeys are rarely identical. Women face unique retirement challenges, including lower lifetime earnings, Caregiving interruptions, longer life expectancy, limited access to workplace retirement plans, and competing financial priorities. No one gets to the goal of retirement alone. But one thing remains consistent: People matter. The conversations they  have. The examples they see. The encouragement they receive. Retirement security is not bui…

There is a particular kind of silence that falls over a life when it arrives at a fork in the road. It is not the quiet of peace, but the hush of a held breath. You stand at the junction of two paths …

There is a particula…

There is a particular kind of silence that falls over a life when it arrives at a fork in the road. It is not the quiet of peace, but the hush of a held breath. You stand at the junction of two paths leading in opposite directions: to tell or not to tell, to leap or not to leap, to leave or not to leave. In these moments, time seems to stop, but the heart does not. The heart races. Because you know the truth that all the platitudes about “new beginnings” try to hide: every real choice is a double loss. Even the necessary losses, leaving a job that has died inside you, ending a Love that h…

 For Shar, a daughter who passed too soon We will dance and sing till sundown and feast with abandon We’ll Sleep when the morning comes Ane we’ll rise to the sound of the bird songs We’ll b…

 For Shar, a daught…

 For Shar, a daughter who passed too soon We will dance and sing till sundown and feast with abandon We’ll sleep when the morning comes Ane we’ll rise to the sound of the bird songs We’ll be here when e world slows down and the sunbeams fade away Keeping time with a pendulum, As the Fabric stats to fray There are  no such times as time to kill, nor time to throw away So once for the bright sky, and twice for another day, Come, come along now, run  away from the humdrum We’ll go to a place that is free from Greed, and boredom And we’ll break our fast  with friends who …

Here is the final thing that helps: Give yourself permission to feel good again. So many grieving partners carry a secret guilt. How dare I laugh? How dare I enjoy a meal? How dare I take a trip wi…

Here is the final th…

Here is the final thing that helps: Give yourself permission to feel good again. So many grieving partners carry a secret guilt. How dare I laugh? How dare I enjoy a meal? How dare I take a trip without them? But here is the truth the long-married eventually learn: Loving someone does not end when they die. It just changes rooms. And the person you were with would almost certainly not want you to stop living. So,  laugh at the silly joke. Eat the dessert. Book the trip you always talked about – even if you go alone. That is not betrayal. That is carrying their love forward. Grief in …

When you are grieving, some people will disappear. They don’t mean to be cruel. They just don’t know what to do. Let them go. And then watch for the ones who show up differently. The neig…

When you are grievin…

When you are grieving, some people will disappear. They don’t mean to be cruel. They just don’t know what to do. Let them go. And then watch for the ones who show up differently. The neighbour who leaves soup on your porch without ringing the bell. The friend who calls and says, “I’m going for a walk in ten minutes. I’ll be outside if you want to join.” The adult child who stops saying “you should” and starts saying “what if we try this together?” Hold those people close. They are not trying to fix you. They are offering to walk with you. Th…

One of the hardest questions after losing a partner is not “What happened?” It is “Who am I now?” For decades, your identity was wrapped up in “we.” We go to the market. We visit the gran…

One of the hardest q…

One of the hardest questions after losing a partner is not “What happened?” It is “Who am I now?” For decades, your identity was wrapped up in “we.” We go to the market. We visit the grandkids. We argue about the thermostat. Then suddenly it is just “I.” And “I” feels like a stranger. What helps? Slowly, gently, trying on new versions of yourself. Not replacing your partner. Not forgetting. Just discovering what is still there. Go to a movie alone. It will feel strange. That is okay. Join a group where no one knows you were part of a couple. A painting cla…

After a long partnership ends, the shape of a day collapses. Morning coffee, the evening news, the shared walk,  all gone. You look at the clock and wonder, What now? One thing that helps is creati…

After a long partner…

After a long partnership ends, the shape of a day collapses. Morning coffee, the evening news, the shared walk,  all gone. You look at the clock and wonder, What now? One thing that helps is creating tiny, repeatable rituals that are yours alone. Light one candle at breakfast. It marks the moment without demanding anything. Take five minutes each morning to write down a single memory,   not sad, just real. Over time, those scraps become a quiet companionship. Walk the same path every day at the same time. Not for Exercise. For rhythm. Set a place for yours…

Today is not about politics. It is not about the headlines that exhaust you or the divisions that dishearten you. Today is about an idea, one that has always been more promise than perfection, more co…

Today is not about p…

Today is not about politics. It is not about the headlines that exhaust you or the divisions that dishearten you. Today is about an idea, one that has always been more promise than perfection, more compass than destination.The idea that you are born with dignity that no government can grant and no tyrant can take away. That we are all created equal, even when we have failed to live up to it. That a small group of rebels, against the mightiest empire of their time, dared to believe that ordinary people could govern themselves.That idea has survived your civil war, Depression, injustice, and dou…

 Most of us avoid talking about grief because we are afraid of saying the wrong thing. So, we say nothing. Or worse, we offer cheerful platitudes that land like salt on a wound. “He’s in a bette…

 Most of us avoid t…

 Most of us avoid talking about grief because we are afraid of saying the wrong thing. So, we say nothing. Or worse, we offer cheerful platitudes that land like salt on a wound. “He’s in a better place.” “At least you had so many years.” “You’re so strong.” None of those help. What helps is honest, quiet presence. Here are a few questions that actually open the door,  without demanding the person perform their pain for you: “What part of your day feels hardest right now?” “Would you like to tell me something about them? Anything at all.” “I do…