In my early 20s, I realized that I wanted to have nude photos of myself taken one day, if I could work up the nerve. Not because I was an exhibitionist, mind you. Rather, I wanted to preserve an unfettered, full-body image of myself to look at in my ol… Continue reading
(Editor’s Note: Across the country, communities are fraying in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many people are dealing with a multitude of emotions, including grief — both past and present. So we are republishing this Next Aven… Continue reading
Nearly everyone can share a favorite food memory; whether it’s all of the components of the family’s traditional Thanksgiving meal or Grandma’s molasses cookie recipe or Dad’s famous waffles. Gathering these beloved memories together can be a true labo… Continue reading
Do you spend too much time wondering what could have been, if only you’d made other choices or taken another path earlier in life? Many of us have lingering regrets about ways that we could have lived our lives differently. Research shows that as we ge… Continue reading
My weekly lunch date gently slides into the passenger seat of my sedan. His thin gray hair is carefully combed, his square jaw and cleft chin are freshly shaven. Before I pull away from the two-story house, my childhood home, I lean over to give my 93-… Continue reading
This is a story about an unlikely mix of topics: running, music, mothers, aging and a stranded blowfish. I was on an early morning run along the beach in Cape May, N.J. during a three-day getaway. It was a great run. Blue sky, shimmering water, warm te… Continue reading
If your extended family went away each summer to a cabin by the lake, a beach house or another special destination while you were growing up, you probably have a stable of vivid childhood memories: Gleefully swimming, hiking and playing board games wit… Continue reading
If you’re a married woman over 50, your wedding dress brings back treasured memories of walking down the aisle and saying “I do.” Most likely your gown has sat untouched for years. And if you have a daughter, you might even dream of her wearing it some… Continue reading
After 23 years of marriage, I was finished. For the last nine of those years, I’d owned a house with a garden in East Tennessee where I grew herbs, perennials, wildflowers and vegetables. I gathered herbal bouquets and dried flowers. I was a member of … Continue reading
When people find out Debby Mycroft helps people write ethical wills, she always gets a predictable response: The Lament. “They say, ‘Oh, I wish I had a letter from my dad or grandmother or great aunt,’ whoever that person was. I have not come across a … Continue reading