Following the Paperwork Trail of a Lifetime

There is an enormous stack of paperwork that follows me wherever I go. Even now as I’m settling into a new apartment, I’m staring at the remaining dregs of paperwork I cannot get rid of. For years I have edited down these piles, thrown them out, ripped… Continue reading

Leaving a Legacy No Matter How Much Money You Have

Leaving a legacy — sounds like something only wealthy people can do, right? Like making a giant bequest to a university or passing on a significant estate to your children. Actually, though, a new Bank of America Merrill Lynch/Age Wave survey and the n… Continue reading

For Multigenerational Travel, Think Outside the Mouse

An ever-growing number of active grandparents enjoy showing their grandkids the world because it creates memorable experiences for both generations. Multigenerational travel remains the top vacation trend, according to the 2019 Virtuoso Luxe Report, wh… Continue reading

How to Turn Your Parents’ Stuff Into Something Cool

When Next Avenue published Richard Eisenberg’s viral story, “Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parent’s Stuff,”  the site received a mountain of responses mirroring the thought. Some, however, found themselves caught between the need to clear out their late par… Continue reading

The Perception vs. Reality of ‘Old’

When I began to write this article, a woman friend age 89, called. She told me, “I walked six miles today. The Fitbit said that I did my steps.” “How did you feel?” I asked. “Tired,” she replied. “But then Bill wanted to have sex. So, I did that too.” … Continue reading

Grandparenting: Time to Look Back and Move Forward

If you have just learned you are about to be a grandparent, congratulations! You are likely eager to meet this new addition to your family and may already have expectations about the role you will play in his or her life. However, we’ve all heard stori… Continue reading

Author Jonathan Santlofer Reflects on Grief

Before The Widower’s Notebook became an eloquent and poignant memoir, it was six composition-style notebooks filled by the novelist and artist Jonathan Santlofer in a nightly practice which he says “kept him grounded” at a time when he felt wholly “dis… Continue reading

Want to Age Gracefully? Think Carefully

The three things that adults age 55+ need to face are: 1) death is inevitable, 2) decline is (somewhat) preventable and 3) aging is generally manageable. These three things are not exactly the inverse of the good, the bad and the ugly. Two are rather g… Continue reading

The Funeral Dress Still in the Back of Your Closet

Dressing for important occasions can be stress-inducing, but deciding what to wear to a funeral can be doubly fraught. Dealing with grief and feeling overwhelmed, now you must find something suitable to wear, which can be especially hard if you’ve been… Continue reading

How Marie Kondo Actually Talked Me Into Building Up My Library

I grew up an only child on a country road with lots and lots of books for friends. My parents didn’t hold much stock in toys or games, but books they fully supported. I got books as gifts, bought books through the Weekly Reader order form, and took boo… Continue reading