Fate brought Dave Johnson and Bruce Grable together not once, but twice. And thanks to the PBS documentary series We’ll Meet Again, which features reunions between people who first crossed paths at critical moments in their lives, the second time gave … Continue reading
For more than 25 years, I served as a psychology professor and researched grief and bereavement. I consulted and taught individuals, couples and families to meet the demands that chronic illness exacts, to build safety nets and resilience in the presen… Continue reading
Seymour and Angel Newman light up as they talk about their daughters, Shoshana and Raphaela. “The best thing that ever happened to my life was those two girls,” Seymour said. Angel added, “They both have such good hearts. They’re such good children.” T… Continue reading
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
The February 14, 2018 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. mobilized students there to launch #NeverAgain, what Time magazine called the “most powerful grassroots gun reform movement in nearly two decades.” Spurred by tra… 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
On Primary Day in September, I met my friend Jane for lunch at our favorite place for burgers. She was proudly wearing an “I Voted” sticker, so we eagerly shared our thoughts and ideas about the candidates. Then Jane mentioned that upon returning from… 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
Life transitions demand that we change more than our roles or outer activities. They demand that we change from the inside out. With retirement, this shift happens when the obvious roles and responsibilities fall away, the structure of our days dissolv… Continue reading