Coronavirus in the News: Separating Fact From Fiction

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., the 24/7 news cycle has transformed into an even more rapidly changing landscape of information, and in some cases, misinformation. Now more than ever, it’s important to have a discerning eye… Continue reading

Coronavirus: How to Prepare to Stay At Home

As the coronavirus spreads in this country, my wife and I have adopted a “don’t panic, but prepare” frame of mind. About 80 people in this country were known to be infected by the scary virus in 13 states as I wrote this, with 14 known deaths. The numb… Continue reading

A Fascinating Course on the Literature of Retirement

What does it mean to retire? And who are you if you’re retired — a retired person, a former (fill in the blank) or someone very different from before? John Watkins, an English professor at the University of Minnesota, is not only wrestling with those q… Continue reading

Facing 70: Finding Peace in Being ‘Real’

(Editor’s Note: This is the first in an occasional series of features about people facing a new decade (50-90) who reflect on their past and share what energizes them about life today.) Sixty-nine hit me like a tornado, fast-moving and whipping up emot… Continue reading

Pack Your Curiosity for an Educational Trip

Once you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, well, you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower. But when you learn about the history of how it was built (this architectural marvel was designed as the entrance to the World’s Fair of 1889 commemorating the 100th anniversary of t… Continue reading

How Mah Jongg Expanded My Shrinking World

I am not a game player. I never have been. Playing games meant sitting still, focusing and mastering a skill: things that didn’t interest me as a child. I liked play that involved moving, not thinking. While my sister and her friends played gin rummy o… Continue reading

Comeback Career Advice for Women Over 50

Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, has written books inspiring women to take control of their career and fight the forces holding them back in the workplace. She launched a “Know Your Value” conference series and a slick website sponsored… Continue reading

‘Talking Out Loud’ About Sex After Loss

In the difficult months after her husband Robert’s death, Joan Price found herself confronted with a veritable mountain of self-help books about grieving. None of them touched on the subject that would preoccupy her for the coming decade: What about se… Continue reading

These Children’s Books Get Aging Right

Children’s books that dismiss ageism and portray loving and fun intergenerational relationships between children and a modern older adult, whether a grandparent or someone outside the family, are powerful in developing a child’s worldview of aging and … Continue reading

Exploring My Family Tree Let Me Find Answers

It was a typical gray and cool October day when we arrived in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. The last time I was there, I was a toddler, visiting my Oma and Opa (grandmother and grandfather) with my parents. I’m 58 now. When my husband Peter said e… Continue reading