Dealing with Grief and Fears

Have you noticed that sometimes people don’t speak to disabled or ill persons because they don’t really know what to say? The same is true about caregivers. If friends don’t know exactly what to say to us, sometimes they say nothing at all…

Grief after 60 is not only about losing people we love. It is also about losing plans, places, routines, and a sense of security. Today’s economy and politics make these losses feel sharper. Prices rise. Neighborhoods change. Health costs climb. Some of us are thinking about moving to another town, another state, or even another […]

Recently, a client was telling me she’d had some bad health news. Thankfully, on further tests and following check-ups the news wasn’t so bad, but, it began a conversation on what she had learned. We discussed the possible situation of having…

When the bowl fell and broke into pieces, I felt shattered into pieces as well. The grief over this little broken object was shocking and completely inadequate. Yet it was real, and it was deep. Looking for answers, here’s what I found: 1. The Bowl Was a Symbol of Loss It was one of three […]

It seems a lot like a movie now, but I didn’t choose to see or play a role in this one. I was dragged in as a lead actress in this long-running family drama and was forced to make the best of it…

Perhaps because my late husband was a pastor, some people thought they were helpful after Tom’s death to tell me, “God needed another angel in heaven.” (Wrong! I needed that angel beside me, not gone away.) Or they said, “I know exactly how you feel…

After writing an article on Taboos a few weeks ago, I was struck by the number of comments and thought I would add a few more things that, perhaps, we need to talk about a little more. We often associate bullying with childhood, but it is very much a part of adulthood…

When I first started my Health and Financial Wellness (HFW) for Women group here in Phoenix about nine years ago, I asked the initial gathering of women which topics they would most want to learn more about. Most of the women attending were in their 60s and many were retired…

Do you know that this is a real type of worry and that there is an actual name for it? Most importantly, do you know you’re not alone in feeling this way? Back to that in a moment. I’m going to share something with you that is very personal. Why? Because I believe that which is personal…

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…