Dealing with Grief and Fears

Every woman I know has a story about fear. Many of us have more than one. My battle with fear started as a learned behavior. I was a pastor’s daughter, and our home was right next door to the church. In the 1960s, we didn’t lock our doors…

As many countries around the globe enter a second (or even third) phase of Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, many of us are asking how we will cope, mentally and physically, this time around. We know that for many people…

Those of us who have watched our parents slip into old age, face multiple health challenges and then pass through death’s door, know that the end-of-life journey can be tricky. Modern medicine has made old age more possible…

We’re all a bit scared right now. Indeed, if we aren’t, we should be. The tentacles of Covid-19 are everywhere and getting worse. And we are warned that health systems are under serious strain. In England, where the new, more contagious…

I’ve been journaling since the age of 10, when my mother gave me a journal to help me cope with the death of my grandmother, who’d been my caretaker. Little did I realize that my mother’s seemingly simple gesture would set the stage…

With Covid-19, we are drowning in statistics. Every day, I see the number of new cases, the number of hospitalisations, the number of deaths. For my country and the rest of the world. They are overwhelming, and it is hard to take them all in…

The holiday lights are shining, Christmas trees are on display, the carols are playing, and presents are wrapped. Many people look forward to the festivities like no other, and the anticipation is as heartwarming as the actual holidays…

It wasn’t until after my husband died that I realized how much I relied on him for home maintenance tasks. Whether it was unclogging the toilet or patching holes in the drywall, he did it all. Now that he’s gone, it’s fallen to me to get all…

One of the loveliest lessons we have learned as we reach our 60s and beyond is that life is full of surprising twists and turns. What may have been a passing fancy becomes a life-long passion and major fork in the road. I once had a yoga…

Despite great advances in medical care, humans still have a 100% mortality rate. Yet fewer than 30% of adults do any end-of-life planning: wills or trusts, advance medical directives and pre-need funeral planning…