Old people don’t just take up space; we are participants in the world. Keep growing. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Keep making new friends. We’ll contribute more and enjoy life more. Continue reading
For billions of people in the world, the crisis is not new and will not go away when the shutdowns are lifted or COVID is cured. The pandemic is just making existing challenges more intense. But we are here; the time is now, and the old ways can’t go on. Can we change ourselves and make the new ones better? Continue reading
“What seems a mistake sometimes turns out a vital way forward on our healing path.” – Stephen Mitchell. How often do your missteps turn into good things? Mine sometimes do. Though sometimes, as in this story, it takes a very hard road to realize the benefit. Continue reading
Recognizing that we don’t own our feelings can be intensely liberating. Feelings come from somewhere. They are a reaction to something, but they are not our property. My usual reaction to the world’s problems is sadness or melancholy. The sadness is real, but it is not mine. Focusing on sadness is just a habit I’ve picked up. Nothing bad will happen to me or anyone else if I put it down for a while. Continue reading
When painful things come to you, look deeper. They may be blessings in disguise. When my friend Nora was 24, she married Fredrik, her tall, good-looking high school sweetheart. She supported him through medical school and residency in San Francisco, … Continue reading
