Joy was in short supply. I’d received a lot of bad news from several people in my life. It was a litany of loss. And never mind the world news in general, which is almost always hard to hear. I longed for more good cheer, for myself and for my loved ones. Read More

Age is such a defining word, isn’t it? The moment we focus on the number is the moment we start to grow old. Read More

Like most of the women reading Sixty and Me, I have always been the matriarch and doer. Looking back at my old journals reminded me I always used to have a million balls in the air, projects with the community and with my family. Read More

We all hunger to have meaning in our lives. This doesn’t change as we age. Research by Rush University Medical Centre found a link between life purpose and cognitive decline in people showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Read More

Are you in your 50s or 60s, thinking about what’s ahead in the next couple of years? Your children are off to college. You have a new sense of freedom. Read More

This week I was racing to finish my novel, a thriller that takes place in Cuba, and it struck me that completing this manuscript, which has held my devotion for two years, was an act of courage. Read More

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?”

– Mary Oliver, The Summer Day

Mary Oliver’s quote was like a slap in the face – gentle, but insistent. It was the third time I’d seen that quote in the last two weeks. I wondered, “What’s going on here? What am I missing?” Read More

Are you a worrier? There are a lot of us about. Perhaps especially as we get older. Personally, I’ve been a worrier all my life. There is so much to worry about! Read More

I love the power of words and how you can re-arrange them in such a way to create impact. But how do you do that when meeting people? Read More

I said goodbye to city life and hello to island living almost 15 years ago when I moved to a small island with a permanent population of 4,300 people, dozens of wild turkeys, a healthy deer population, mischievous racoons and a few errant peacocks. Read More