Carol's Reflections

Freedom 101

Fifty years ago this month, I met my husband Dan atop a scaffold at a rock and roll concert in a warehouse, the Hell’s Angels serving as security and my husband part of the psychedelic light show crew. My parents didn’t approve of their college junior dating an ex-sailor fresh

The Grace in Aging

Getting lost in your emotional reactivity isn’t where you want to be. –Ram Dass I want to apologize, right off the bat, for all those years and years of lunches, phone conversations and long walks in parks together in which I complained endlessly about my mother. When she passed, my

Purpose Enough

You never know who is going to be the soul of a particular gathering for you –the words of wisdom that you will bring home with you to turn over and over again in your heart. The most recent was Bob Atchley, a gentle but powerful soul who helped build

Personal Note: Angelica’s Last Breath

“Try to live with the part of your soul which understands eternity, which is not afraid of death. And that part of your soul is love.” –Leo Tolstoy Dear Friends of Older, Wiser, Fiercer, Over the past few years, many of you have given me valuable feedback on several of

Seventy is Different*

Seventy is different than the sixties. How do I know? Because just two months ago, at the tender age of 69, the outcome I’m about to describe would have been very different. And the young nursing student who had been eavesdropping on my conversation with old friends at lunch may

Time for Us to Face(book) the Music?

For 14 years, our generation has stuck with Facebook: invested our hearts and souls in it–while younger generations have largely bailed. For many of us as we’ve aged, Facebook has increasingly become a lifeline to the world. At a stage in our lives when our work and social communities are

Growing Through Life Together

For Dan on His Birthday My husband Dan and I have been together since we were twenty-one. That’s a lot of years and a lot of growing through life side by side. We have stood together through all manner of life stage, from building careers, raising children and welcoming grandchildren,

The Greatness Gap

My new friend Annette and I were getting to know one another after tai chi class last week, each of us delighted to have discovered a new conversation partner close to home. The dialogue took place over cappuccinos in a favorite neighborhood cafe. “I love tai chi,” Annette commented between

Beside the Point

The gang from Zumba class were trying out a new restaurant for my seventieth birthday. Service was slow and we were overly hungry. It was a spectacularly unlucky case of timing that just when I finally decided to start unwrapping my birthday presents, the long-absent waiter suddenly showed up with

Stumbling towards Thanks 11/21/17

In light of the relentless parade of daily headlines, this passing year has been one of disappointment, regret, revelation, righteous indignation and painful moments of truth. And yet, here comes Thanksgiving again, making seemingly impossible demands on us this time around. At least, unlike last year, this time there isn’t