Dealing with Grief and Fears

Should you read your parents’ letters? Are their journals and private musings cathartic or potentially devastating? I face this question right now, and it’s a big one. A while back, after moving to Eugene, Oregon this past year, I saw an article by a fellow Sixty writer…

I am so proud to be of our generation. I doubt there has ever been one that has experienced the vast amount of changes that we have. And yet, there are still things that have not changed, for example ‘taboos’. Things which, for whatever reason, we keep to ourselves…

Although I do like being an older woman, one of the downsides of reaching our 60s and beyond is that there are more and more deaths among the people in our lives. We note that those remaining from the generation above…

After my husband passed away from cancer and the dust had settled, I was soon left to deal with the pain and suffering that would ensue. I didn’t know how…

Life’s disappointments, sudden change, loss and grief seem to come in waves. They strike upon a calm beach and a peaceful mind out of nowhere, washing away all that once felt secure. I’ve been basking in the sun for some time, feeling quite content. I didn’t expect it to last forever…

If you’re in your seventh decade of life or beyond, no doubt you have experienced some plot twists. Whether illness, divorce, death or an otherwise unexpected curve ball that life threw at you. In my conversations with hundreds of people who have lost a spouse…

Losing someone we love can be devastating. Our whole world seems to come to a standstill, while everything else keeps on moving. It can happen in an instant or may take years. It can be planned, unexpected, tragic, painful, or even a blessing…

Although I am not familiar with Christine Caine, an author and speaker focused on empowering women globally, I recently encountered a quote of hers that resonated with me deeply: “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried. But you’ve actually been planted.”

When I first received the news that I had lung cancer, I felt very sad. After several tests, we suspected it was probable, but I had remained hopeful that it could still be benign. Now, I had the answer. Just hearing the word malignant is scary enough, but then you must accept…

Whether it comes unexpectedly or after a long illness, losing a spouse is traumatic at best. At worst it can be debilitating. I know because, at age 35, I became a widow myself. While many people want to help, it can be difficult to know how…