Aging
-
LOVE IS BLIND
I just helped my 65-year-old client set up his first, online dating profile. Sadly, he stayed long past the expiration date of his marriage and is now starting over. Meanwhile, my youngest daughter has attended more weddings this year than I’ve been to in my lifetime. Statistically, 45% of those unions will end in divorce. That’s why… Read more
—
by
in
-
magical thinking
I have a friend who cleans his sunglasses with paper money. He swears, “It keeps them cleaner longer.” However, the science says that’s not true. Paper, which is made from wood pulp, scratches lenses. So why is he convinced otherwise? Beats me. What matters is what he thinks—not what is. Neither truth nor science affect our decision making.… Read more
-
WHY DREAM?
Poet Langston Hughes once wrote, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” Where would we be without our dreams? They keep us buoyed with hope, consolidate our memories and help transform our emotional distress into resilience. Without them, what is there to look forward to? Dreams are… Read more
-
LIGHT IT UP
As a therapist, I’ve seen my share of suicides, psychotics, schizophrenics and other tortured souls: Men and women abusing each other or themselves. Couples with unrealistic expectations of their partners. Addicts unable to stop using drugs, eating food or watching porn and a populace that has seemingly lost its’ purpose. Recently, a teenager told me… Read more
-
“EVERYTHING CHANGES. EVEN STONE” –Monet
Each year, as I inch closer to death, the more I crave life. It’s as if I know there are only a certain number of steps left on my feet so I MUST keep moving them. I dance down the aisles of the supermarket, sing at full volume, breathe in every flower in my path, and revel… Read more
-
WANT SUCCESS IN OLD AGE? START YOUNG
You’d think given all the time we have to prepare for old age we’d be ready for it when it comes. Nope. Sometimes on a perfectly lovely day as the sun splashes its’ golden beams upon me, I suddenly picture myself really old. My voice is weak and my hands unsteady. I am so wrinkled… Read more
-
MEMORY: Real or Imagined?
We have 100 billion neurons and over 100 trillion synaptic connections in our brains. So why do we forget stuff? Because it’s not important to us. Yes, it’s that simple. I can still remember my grandmother’s phone number from 1970 (WHitney 5-6078) but couldn’t find my car keys yesterday. Granted, the processing speed of our neurons slows… Read more
-
HELP I’M IN THE TUB AND I CAN’T GET OUT!
Look what I just bought myself for Christmas! Remember that commercial where an old lady was on the floor and said, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up?” It used to make me laugh. Not anymore. I finally took my first bath in this tiny tub since replacing both my knees. For reference, it… Read more
-
S-T-R-E-T-C-H
You can see from this picture that I’m flexible. What you can’t see are my two, artificial knees, spinal scoliosis, achy hip and temperamental shoulder due to a long-ago dislocation. I started doing yoga in my teens, 50 years ago. Nothing fancy but I still do a little bit every day. Now, it only takes about 10 minutes a day to… Read more
-
YOUNG AGAIN?
There is no instruction book for aging. The label on an aspirin bottle is infinitely more informative. As if losing your hearing and sight weren’t enough, your brain does odd things. Yesterday, I went into the garage three, separate times. Each time, I brought an item to put in the recycling bin but I knew that wasn’t why… Read more
AGEFULLY AGING 