A Saturn Charm, a Terrible Joke, and a Mother’s Love
Last week I gave my daughter a silver charm shaped like Saturn. It was not an extravagant gift, just a small charm I knew she would enjoy. Along with it, I tucked in two little gift cards. The first one said, “Love you to the moon and back.” The second simply said, “Uranus.” My grandsons, Sean and Nick, burst out laughing…
Read MoreEmergency Financial List: What Your Family May Need This Summer
For many, summer is when families come together. We check the more obvious things: flights, medications, hotel reservations, and maybe passports if it’s an international trip. But families often overlook another kind of preparedness. If something unplanned happens while traveling…
Read More12 Best Shampoos for Thinning Hair
In a world where hair is often considered a symbol of vitality and beauty, the experience of thinning hair can be disheartening. Whether caused by age, genetics, hormonal changes, or various environmental factors, thinning hair is a common concern that transcends gender and age boundaries…
Read MoreYou Can Quench Your Thirst in the Most Unexpected Places
Recently, I was in New York for a few days and – no surprise – it was muggy, hot, and absolutely packed with people. I love all of that. I love the energy, I love the noise, I am an unashamed people-watcher. But somewhere around 30,000 steps, with what I can only describe as a shopping back (that particular brand of lower-back protest that arrives after a long day of walking and carrying bags), I desperately needed four things: air conditioning, a seat, a bathroom, and a cold drink…
Read MoreI Need a New Shoulder, Part I
My friend Stewart retired from his corporate attorney job after almost 40 years, eager to fill his leisure with travel, golf, and his lifelong love of skiing. Schussing down the mountain one day in the crisp cool air, he was hit from behind by a snowboarder who gave little more than a backward glance. Stewart, 66, suffered a fractured shoulder along with bumps, bruises, and a concussion…
Read MorePermanent Weight Control After 60: The Simple Truth We Keep Trying to Avoid
Most of us have heard so many diet theories that weight control can begin to sound mysterious. Low carb. Low fat. Fasting. Cleanses. Special foods. Magic supplements. No eating after 7 p.m. Eat like a caveman. Eat like a movie star. After a while, it is easy to feel that permanent weight control must be complicated. I don’t believe it…
Read MoreBook Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
There’s a particular kind of freedom that arrives, if you’re lucky, in the last chapters of a life. Not the freedom of open roads and infinite possibility – that’s a young person’s freedom, showy and exhausting. This is quieter: the freedom of no longer caring what people think, because you’ve run out of time to perform for them…
Read MoreThe Most Important Question Women Over 60 Are Not Asking Themselves
I want to ask you something that might be a little uncomfortable. When did you last ask yourself what you actually want? Not what your children need. Not what your grandchildren would enjoy. Not what would make the holidays easier or the family gathering run more smoothly or the situation with your adult…
Read MoreIt’s the Small Things That Pull Us Forward
Every morning, before I get out of bed and while I do my hip flexor stretches, I think about my day. It helps me focus on what I have to look forward to. Maybe it’s lunch with a friend, a different walking route to try, or even a new episode of a favourite series. I do this every morning. It helps me get up with a smile. I feel positive about the day ahead, even when there is nothing…
Read MoreCould Alcohol Be Making Aging Harder Than It Needs to Be?
A few months ago, a friend told me about an older woman who had fallen at a wedding. “She was dancing,” he explained. “She stumbled and went down. She’d been drinking.” The story stayed with me because falls are no small matter as we get older. A broken wrist, a fractured hip, or a head injury can change the course of a life in an instant…
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