The idea of frail can be a legitimate adjective that follows us older folks around, tugging at our sleeves and asking for our attention. But once we grant that thought its place in our self-concepts, it can crawl into our brains like attitudinal kudzu—climbing/winding/vining its way into nooks and crannies where other ideas and emotions would like to prosper. Frail can be both an accurate measureMORE...
*Emotionally regulated elders?
We older adults have likely faced enough of life’s circumstances to be able to deal maturely with our emotions. This attribute might make us especially valuable in helping younger congregation members gather around themselves the life skills necessary to handle their emotions wisely. Our capabilities for emotional regulation could be a valuable help for what’s troubling our society right now: TheMORE...
Like flowers
This Spring, I waited just a tad too long before starting the weeding tasks that are required of anyone claiming to be gardener. The seasonal rains had encouraged the weeds to reach their highest aspirations, so I was pulling out a small, grassy thicket of tall, thick tangles of greenery. Before going full bore on weed-removal, though, I tried to recall where there might also be flowers living inMORE...
Larry and his cell phone
(I’ve written previously about a brilliant member of our church—let’s now call him Larry—who’s one of those outliers way out ahead of the rest of us and therefore deserving of our admiration and respect. Today a different take on Larry’s current predicament—one many older adults may know full well….) Recently I’ve encountered Larry’s vexation about some of the electronic wizardry that surroundsMORE...
Frailty’s edges
It’s taken me awhile to admit that I’m an older gentleman. (I’ve always been an odd guy, but older was a bit harder.) “Frail elder” will be similar: There might not be a definitive moment when I’ll say to myself, “Okay, NOW I’m a frail person.” Frailty—whatever it is—is probably sneaking up on me. Parts of my anatomy don’t work as well. I come away from medical tests and doctor visits withMORE...
Fiercely purposed
You may have wondered why lifework or life purpose keeps showing up in these entries. Have I become a fierce workaholic who’s blind to other parts of life? Am I stuck on this one matter to the exclusion of others? Could be…. Years ago, I regularly visited residents at a local assisted living facility. I saw a good share of these elderly folks tilted back in their recliners, napping in front ofMORE...
Living the dream?
One of the other older guys in my weekly tai chi class always answers my “How are you?” greeting with “Living the dream…!” There’s some whimsy in his response, and maybe some truth, too. As it turns out, though, “Living the dream” may also be more difficult than just describing a good life. In the opening episode of the PBS documentary series, “A Brief History of the Future”, UCLA socialMORE...
Verification skills
“What’s actually true?” This question is as old as Jacob fooling his vision-challenged father Isaac and as current as AI’s uncanny ability to invent and shape words, images and sounds. The matter of verifying truth has become a necessary skill, perhaps especially for those of us who are targeted with misinformation, manipulation or malpractice. Today a few reminders about developing a truthMORE...
Tipping point hope
Daily life is full of tipping points, and some of them can provide reasons for hopefulness. Actual tipping points may be hard to see, because they may occur before the observable event we name as the moment of change. An example: In June, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage. Many of us named that occasion as the possible tipping point regarding the country’s attitudesMORE...
Dirty cloaks
A Palm Sunday question: what happened to all the cloaks that parade-goers threw on the ground as a carpet for Jesus’ donkey-riding? How would they have responded when asked, “So, what are you going to do with your dirty clothes now?” This would not be a small question. A cloak was probably the most necessary outer-garment in the minimal wardrobes of these palm-wavers. When their cloaks hit theMORE...