(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
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
My mother, 72, had been a widow for three years when she was set up by mutual friends with Hank, a 75-year-old widower whose wife had died a few months before. Hank lived in Boston and she was in New York City, so they’d spent many hours on the phone b… Continue reading
Late on a Thursday afternoon, my fiance, Perry, and I stood at the threshold of my family room. I brushed off a piece of lint from his black tuxedo, then clutched the right side of my dusty rose gown to avoid tripping on the delicate hem. As classical … Continue reading
My friend Carla saw almost everything in life as a creative challenge — a moment to brainstorm and make a statement. If there was a potluck brunch, no way was she picking up a dozen bagels. Instead, she’d find a recipe for pear-ginger coffee cake, go b… Continue reading
In 2013, the United States took a major step forward in the fight for marriage equality, thanks in large part to the determination — and courage — of the late Edie Windsor. The New York City-based octogenarian was the lead plaintiff in a landmark Supre… Continue reading
The trail can be as short as a quarter of a mile but take three hours to cover. Earthy undertones are strong. Some participants have been moved to hug a tree in the process. They’re not climbing a mountain or traversing treacherous territory. They’re p… Continue reading
In James Wrayge’s quiet studio on an early winter afternoon, there is a tangible sense of purpose. Wrayge’s paintings line the walls along the portion of the space he shares with another artist at the Northrup King Building in Minneapolis. There are a… Continue reading
“Turn off the lights.” “Why would you go out and spend money for coffee?” I grew up middle-class in the 1950s with a litany of lines like that from my Depression-era mother. Usually, I didn’t listen to them. But now that I’m 70 and figuring out ways to… Continue reading
“Turn off the lights.” “Why would you go out and spend money for coffee?” I grew up middle-class in the 1950s with a litany of lines like that from my Depression-era mother. Usually, I didn’t listen to them. But now that I’m 70 and figuring out ways to… Continue reading