Todays Gray Matters Valuing the Wisdom & Purpose In Aging Well

Remember? How exciting it was to anticipate the magical days to come. For me, Christmas was one of the big ones. Oh, the excitement! Of course we had to decorate a tree. That wasn’t my favorite part. I wanted all blue lights. No, Marsha, for the last time, we cannot have all blue lights! The reason I heard so often ... Read More »

Today I’m remembering Maxine Gallagher, my mother. She departed this earth on February 19, 2014, one year ago today. Sometimes remembering is all we can do. If someone you love is old, in fragile health, take some time to remember with them the good things they added to your life, the lessons they taught you, the gifts they gave. Do ... Read More »

Here we are in mid-December and it’s impossible not to notice the winter holiday season. I only have 1 daughter coming home for 4 days. Others are more fortunate to have a lot of holiday company. Or are they? I remember one set of grandparents proudly telling us about how all their kids and grandkids came home and stayed with ... Read More »

Thanksgiving. It’s almost here. This year especially, people have asked me what I’m doing for Thanksgiving. For the longest time I didn’t have an answer other than that I would be thankful and would eat something somewhere. Simply being alive, having the opportunity eat, having choices about what to do for the day are things to be thankful for. This ... Read More »

What happens to you when the seasons change? I’m not talking about getting out the summer clothes, taking down the Christmas lights and things like that. Is there any change inside you? For me, no matter which season is beginning and which is ending, I feel a mixture of hope and nostalgia. I remember the seasons of years past as ... Read More »

Where are you in your life’s journey? Do you have aches and pains, doctors and specialists, trouble with mobility and activities of daily living? Perhaps you’re not there yourself yet but are taking care of someone, perhaps an elderly parent, who is. Either way, it’s easy to get sucked into negative thinking about life’s burdens. Let’s look at it another ... Read More »

Have you ever noticed that the language that we use can influence how we feel? Sometimes even a subtle change makes a big difference. Are you going to face the future or enter the future? Cope with old age or enjoy old age? Imagine what you’ll want or get to do instead of dwelling on what you’ll no longer have ... Read More »

We’re in the middle of the winter holiday season. Retailers are hoping to sell you a lot of things, television is showing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and other Christmas specials, the mailbox is full of catalogs proclaiming holiday deals. It seems there are a lot of things we’re supposed to do: be happy, shop, eat, get ... Read More »

Talk of Thanksgiving, food, and family swirls around me. My daughters are coming home, a meal is planned, and we’re looking forward to each other’s company. None of us knows what really to expect, however. Two weeks ago we were led to believe that my mother would no longer be with us by Thanksgiving. We all gathered and said our ... Read More »

This has been a big week for me. We left caring for the elderly relatives to our siblings and went to Nashville to celebrate 30 years of marriage and my husband’s 60th birthday. What a fantastic trip. We went to the Grand Ol’ Opry, a lifelong dream for me. We went to more bars and honkytonks than a non-drinking woman ... Read More »