John and I spent part of our autumn vacation giving retirement a test drive.
Vacation is typically synonymous with the “not working” part of retiring, so what was noteworthy was staying in a Santa Fe retirement community with our neighbor, Charles.
death
The business of loving hard: reblog from Jolene “Jojo” Collins
Few people are brave enough to own their honest story in the way Jojo did, even fewer would put it on their business website. I asked for her permission to share her story of finding happiness through trial and error and eventually getting brave enough to listen to her heart.
I’m grateful she and Rachel both said yes so I can share with you this story of loving hard.
Remembering taking my aunt to Rome for Pope John Paul II’s last Easter
The grande dame of our family died this spring. Aunt Glenan was the strong-willed family planner who did not invite you to dinner so much as issue a command performance, and who loved nothing more than pulling together her six children,… Read More ›
Laurie Anderson gives a noble goal of peace and grace in her farewell to Lou Reed
Death has been close to me recently. Our neighbor died, my dad’s brother died, a business school classmate died. I am aware of our mortality but these various losses have brought that difficult truth front and center. In this already… Read More ›
Comfort in, dump out when someone you care about is facing tough times
It can be tough to know what to say when someone close to you has lost a job or gotten a terrible diagnosis. When my mom died, I was taken aback by some of the things people said. They were… Read More ›
Making sense of the untimely death of our neighbor, Martha Atwater
A few weeks ago, a woman was killed in front of our Brooklyn apartment building. She walked out of the bagel shop directly below our apartment and an out-of-control driver careened up onto the sidewalk, crushing her. We’d walked past… Read More ›
Before I die … an interactive art installation
John and I recently spent a day in Woodstock, that small New York state town best known for the music festival that shares its name. As we wrapped up brunch at the lovely Oriole9, we saw this huge chalkboard in… Read More ›
Nothing motivates a journalist like a deadline
A friend recently lost his wife. She was just 47 when she was hit by a car and died.
After getting a divorce a few years back, my friend had remarried and was as giddy as a high school girl talking about his new wife. His eyes twinkled when he talked about her influence on his health, his home and his outlook on life.
I never met his new wife, but my heart gets hot and my eyes tear up when I think about these two people just having found each other, then having it suddenly, unexpectedly, end.
Mother’s Day can be a challenge when you’ve lost your mom
Editor’s note: This post gets a lot of traffic from people searching phrases like “mothers day wishes for someone who lost their mom.” I love that so many of you are looking to offer your love and support, and would… Read More ›
Where do you want to die?
I recently finished The Geography of Bliss, a thought-provoking book that explores the relationship between where we live and how happy we are. One of the questions author Eric Weiner shares: Where do you want to die? Although the Brookings… Read More ›
