Dealing with Grief and Fears

“What shall I say?” asked Howard, obviously uncomfortable about telling his 7- and 9-year-old that their grandfather had just died. They had only seen him the other day, as usual, and he had seemed his usual cheerful self…

The start of the year is a popular time to reflect. So, I’m inclined to be a little philosophical as we greet 2021 while pulling ourselves out of the abyss of the past year and catching our collective breath. I know there’s nothing…

I like being old. At nearly 80, I think I am allowed to say so. Indeed, I like being old so much that I wrote a book about it. But that doesn’t mean that everything about being old is wonderful. Far from it. And one of the things I like least is the loss of friends…

At the end of every year, when my “valversary” rolls around, I’m grateful all over again. I had open-heart surgery for a mitral valve repair in December 2014, and the gratitude for good health ever since drives me to “pay it forward.” We all know the vast time…

We are fixers by nature. If there’s a problem, we naturally want to find a solution. Our society carries that concept to an immediate solution known as pill popping. We’ve become this type of fixer for basically all problems…

When you hear the words Blue Christmas, you may think of the Elvis Presley Christmas Album. I’ve always thought of that ballad being directed toward a breakup. When he sings, “you’ll be doing alright with your Christmas of white…

Family estrangement for women in their 60s is more common than you think. About 70 million people in the United States report experiencing estrangement from one or more family members. For some, estrangement is a choice due to self-preservation…

Do you want to feel empowered? Energetic? Self-confident? One way to do that is by trying new things and confronting your fears. When you step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself with a new sport, a new technology…

If this December you are feeling anything but merry and bright, it’s perfectly okay. There is no requirement to be “in the spirit,” or peaceful or joyful. And by all means, if you don’t feel like it, don’t deck the halls or hang the stockings with care…

We all know that challenges are a part of life. Yet we are never prepared for them when they appear at our door. “Why are you here, things are going well, leave me alone.” We all get those knocks – the knocks of life…