The other day, I had one of those moments behind the wheel that stayed with me long after I arrived at my destination. I was entering a roundabout and had already begun making my turn when a woman sped through, apparently believing she had the right of way. She laid on her horn. And [...]

Last weekend, my husband and I attended an evening poolside party at the gracious home of a friend. It was a multigenerational gathering, the kind of evening when age seemed to matter less than the simple pleasures of being together. The backyard pool became the centerpiece, surrounded by laughter, conversation, food, Moscow Mules, and, [...]

There was a time when I could spot a piece of brown transferware pottery from across a crowded flea market. My pulse would quicken before I even reached it. Breathless, I'd turn it over, admiring the maker's mark and the fine crackle that proved it had lived a life long before mine. I asked about [...]

An older adult walks out of their room wearing something unexpected: a striped jacket, a colorful scarf, bold glasses, a beautiful, oversized brooch, or a bright orange Tigers T-shirt and vintage cap. The reaction is almost immediate. "Ooooh, So cute!" There’s a look of affectionate surprise, as though this person has delighted us simply [...]

The other day, a song came on my car radio that I hadn't heard in years. Within seconds, I wasn't sitting in my car anymore. I was sixteen again, driving my mother's Dodge Charger after school with the windows rolled down, the radio blasting, convinced life was about to begin. I was getting one [...]

Every Tuesday morning, Lillian arrives at JSL with a smile. She slips on an apron, makes sandwiches in the Bistro, chats with staff, and laughs at someone's joke. For a couple of hours, she is simply another volunteer. Then she quietly hangs up her apron, thanks everyone, and returns home to care for her [...]

I recently rewatched the classic 1982 film, Tootsie. I expected to laugh at the clever lines. Instead, I found myself humming along with tears in my eyes to Stephen Bishop's haunting theme song, It Might Be You. Songs don't just remind us of happy times. They awaken memories of change, loss, hope, and the [...]

When I walk past the Meer Art Room, I often find Ron Stearn, one of our hearing-impaired residents, painting a canvas at a table. Even when the creative writing class is meeting, he sits quietly, completely absorbed in the project before him. Smiling to himself with his brush in hand, he seems transported, unaware [...]

  The waiting room was unusually quiet, though not because there was nothing happening. A row of women sat beside me, heads lowered, eyes on their phones. Knees bounced. Fingers tapped. Handbags were opened and closed as if the perfect distraction might be hiding inside. We were all there for the same reason: appointments, [...]

My son and daughter-in-law and their young children spent a year living in Amsterdam. Saying goodbye to their children’s new friends, Toshi and Yuki, was one of their first real experiences with loss. Even now, mentioning those names brings back stories and sad faces. But their memories remain. After they returned home, the grandkids [...]

I am officially living in homeowner's hell. There comes a time in every homeowner's life when selling the house and moving to senior living starts sounding less like “giving up” and a lot more like a luxury cruise. Honestly, I’m ready to sign up. Give me a carefree apartment, a maintenance man named Hank [...]

Life has a way of testing us. At different points, we all face challenges that leave us feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or uncertain about what comes next: the loss of someone we love, health concerns, financial strain, loneliness, or simply the weight of everyday life. These experiences are part of being human. Recently, my daughter [...]