Of all the healthcare issues that spark controversy, extreme emotion and passionate advocacy, the idea of physician-assisted dying arguably tops the list. It’s not hard to understand why. Faced with the prospect of intractable pain and prolonged suffering, many people believe that…

What excuses actually work? The short answer is… none of them.

If you are like everybody else I know, you have found that excuses show up with monotonous regularity and come from many directions. Read More

I’ve been busy since my mother passed away three months ago. I have been re-orienting myself to a new status: A Parentless Adult. Read More

People leave our lives all the time. There are so many reasons why they leave, and these losses do have an impact on us, whether or not people pass away, move away or a relationship brakes down. Read More

Tuesday, New York City

The call came around noon on Tuesday. It was from my son, who was in Cincinnati for business and had stopped to see his grandmother.

“Mom,” my son beseeched, “you need to get to Ohio as fast as you can. Nana’s not doing well.” Read More

My greatest fear as the years went by was that my spouse might die first. Having had no children, the thought of my husband dying first and me being left alone in the world was something I simply couldn’t bear. Read More

Dealing with grief is tough. When someone loses a spouse or loved one, a numb feeling sets in and they are stunned and surprised that something so horrific has occurred. Initially, they may feel literally frozen in place because essentially, they are in a state of shock. Read More

Judith Viorst, in her book Necessary Losses, promoted the idea that the first half of life is about acquisition and the second half is about letting go. Read More

When it comes to aging, while concerns about sagging skin, baggy eyes and low energy might preoccupy your thoughts, they can seem superficial when it comes to fears of developing Alzheimer’s or cognitive decline, losing your memory and developing dementia. Read More

One thing that’s almost certain, once you’re over 60, is overcoming grief.

It’s hard to avoid grief unless we die early or we’re incredibly lucky. By now, many of us have already lost our parents, even if they lived to a ripe old age. Mine passed away at 89 and 90. Although it was hard, (they died within two weeks of each other) it was expected because of their age and was easier to deal with. Read More