I was never ready to have a child, but I always loitered along the razor’s edge of wanting one. I cast away all my healthy reproductive years to the agony of indecision. I spent heaps of money on shrink appointments, and talked about it ad nauseam with… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This content is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation, a Next Avenue sponsor.) Jodi Savage was her grandmother’s caretaker in her last days. Like many black Americans, her grandmother’s cultural beliefs and religious background le… Continue reading
Back in the days before Halloween became an industry — it’s now an occasion to plant “gravestones” in the front yard or a giant inflatable vampire in the driveway, all to frighten trick-or-treaters — my father was achieving the same goal with a simple … Continue reading
It’s a fact: the American workforce is getting older. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employees age 55 and older are one of the fastest growing populations there. And one in four professionals will exceed the traditional age of retirement by… Continue reading
We were watching the evening news when my husband, Bob, noticed the date and gasped. “August 16th? Oh, my God. Yesterday was Leslie’s and my wedding anniversary,” he said, referring to his late wife. “I can’t believe I missed it.” “Thank you for sharin… Continue reading
The late musician and composer Frank Zappa got it right when he said, “So many books, so little time.” More than ever, many avid readers have transformed the solitary act of reading into an opportunity for socialization by joining book clubs. The New Y… Continue reading
You are in a public park with your son-in-law when you realize your young grandson is building up to a blood-curdling screaming tantrum that will be heard for miles. Your son-in-law isn’t handling it like you would and you really want to give him some … Continue reading
Yoshi is sitting on the table next to me with his head on my arm, which makes it challenging to type. He’s all about proximity these days as he wants a steady stream of affection and warmth from his humans. I can’t imagine that he’s cold — it’s 95 degr… Continue reading
Beth came up to me, tears in her eyes. “My cousins came into town,” she lamented. Normally this would not seem like a big deal, but Beth’s cousins were diametrically opposed to the idea of her moving her mother — their aunt — into a long-term dementia … Continue reading
Memoirs from musicians are fairly common, but how often do we hear from the mothers of famous rock stars? In her debut book, From Cradle to Stage, Virginia Hanlon Grohl (mother of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl) opens up about her life as a rock mom … Continue reading