Embrace Your Aging

Loads of Latkes. Hordes of Holly. Oodles of cookies. The holidays, whichever you celebrate- or don’t- are upon us. I talk with people who are so busy that they barely have time for a conversation. I pass people in the grocery store who are so stressed I fear getting run over by their cart. On the other hand, the wonderment in the little girl’s eyes as she waits to see Santa is worth the yearly ritual. That’s what this season is all about: magic, connection and giving. For th

I just moved. ...Again. Risk averse, I am not. Afraid of change, not me. After years of embracing change, sometimes thinking that I thrive on chaos, I have learned that change has its advantages- and some disadvantages. Looking at the world through a different lens can be, literally, eye opening. It’s like sitting on one side of the room and never noticing that the pictures behind me are crooked- until I move my chair and sit on the other side of the room. A clearer view Movi

Now that I’m a bit older, (a phrase I have come to accept), I keep running across the question, “Given the opportunity to look back, what are your regrets?” The question, however, assumes that I do regret something; the reality is that I don’t really regret- much. Is regret an option? When I hear other people answer this question, I often hear an immediate response of “nothing”. It is often followed by a comment about their lousy marriage, but without which they would not h

Six years ago, my brother was killed. He was murdered. Six months ago my friend’s husband died in his sleep. Twelve years ago, my mother died. She had Alzheimer’s Disease. Grief Grief over the loss of a loved one, can be quite painful. Life does go on, and, slowly, the sharp pain subsides. Yet, so many events rekindle the sadness, the loss. The anniversary of a death, a birthday or a holiday reminds us of the good times, the shared memories, and, for the moment, the grief ret

NPR broadcast a story recently noting that 87% of the households in the US will grill sometime over the 4th of July week-end. Wow! That’s a lot of charcoal and gas, burgers and ribs. I do remember a July 4th, maybe 20 years ago, when I cranked up the charcoal grill, pouring lighter fluid on the briquettes and lighting the pile. I was living in Atlanta and was putting together a classic southern bar-b-que. I went inside to finish the fixin’s and gather the ribs to put on what