Losing a spouse is a devastating experience whether it happens at the end of a long illness or without any warning. In a moment, everything changes. For many, widowhood feels surreal, like the whole world has shifted slightly, leaving them standing apart from the life they used to know. Modern…
“There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” –Rosalyn Carter These prescient words by the former first lady remain as relevant and true as ever. According to…
Ever find yourself in this situation? You get seated in a dimly-lit restaurant, the server hands you a menu, and you immediately realize with dread, “I forgot my reading glasses.” Or maybe you discover a new food item in the grocery store. You turn the package over to read the…
Your daughter accompanies you to a doctor’s appointment for moral support, and the doctor addresses all his questions to her instead of to you. Nothing like feeling invisible! The nurse talks to you the way Kindergarten teachers speak to their students, sometimes using the “royal we” and often using inappropriate…
There are some life experiences that you just can’t understand until you have lived them yourself. For example nothing can truly prepare you for becoming a parent. Read all the books you want and watch all your friends have their own kids—you will never really get it until you’re the…
The holidays are a time for family, but sometimes the chaos of the season overwhelms all our best intentions to create special moments with our loved ones. With so much to do (and so little time to do it), it can feel like the holiday season comes and goes before…
After a loss, family is often tasked with the responsibility of handling the financial and legal matters associated with administering the estate of the deceased. While this in and of itself can be stressful and overwhelming, perhaps the more emotionally-draining ritual is sorting through personal belongings such as clothing, jewelry,…
Once upon a time, having three generations under one roof was common practice. And, in some parts of the world, it’s still a popular way of life. Here in the U.S., Pew Research Center estimates that some 64 million Americans—20% of the overall population—live in households that include two adult…
Landing a new job is a daunting task when you’re in your 50s or 60s. The prospect of transitioning to a new company or perhaps rejoining the workforce after some time away can feel like having to reinvent yourself from the ground up. It doesn’t help that, despite the passage…
All major life transitions require preparation and adaptation. Graduation, moving into your first apartment, landing your first job, getting married, having kids, changing careers, retiring — each of these life events typically comes with a lot of planning. Becoming a caregiver for an aging parent, however, is an event that…