By Aimee Ross “I have a question for you, Aim,” Mom said from her blue La-Z-Boy. “How did you stay so positive during everything you went through?” This takes me…
5 Things Family Caregivers Need to Know About Family Leave
By Diane Harris for Next Avenue This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of…
How to Be Supportive to Friends Experiencing Loss
By Ken Druck for Next Avenue (Editor’s note: This essay is the latest in a series from author and speaker Ken Druck, based on work in his book Courageous Aging, which…
‘Letter Project’ Makes End-of-Life Wishes Clear
By Beth Baker, Aging in Community Blogger (part of the Transforming Life as We Age Special Report) “I do not want to be a burden on my family… I would prefer…
When your best friend dies
By Gary M. Stern for Next Avenue Josh Koplovitz, an attorney based in Woodstock, N.Y., communicated with his best friend Lester Fensterheim nearly every day. They first met in 1999…
Keeping our eyes on the prize
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain Valentine’s Day is 14 days away while I’m writing this … and I’ve already purchased my wife’s gift. That has NEVER happened in the almost…
What to Say to Someone Who’s Dying
By Jill Smolowe for Next Avenue My friend’s distress was acute. For weeks she’d been running herself ragged, attending to her ailing octogenarian father. Daily visits to the hospital had…
View unpredictability as a friend and celebrate the dash
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain My wife is a fan – a.k.a. fanatic! – of Hallmark movies. Much to her chagrin, I insert a “spoiler alert” and announce how the…
Facing Down the Biggest Fear of All
By Ken Druck for Next Avenue (Editor’s note: This essay is part of a series from author and speaker Ken Druck, based on work in his book Courageous Aging, which is…
5 suggestions to invest in a more “thanks-filled” life
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain I love Thanksgiving! In addition to diving into a boat-load of mashed potatoes topped with creamy chicken and noodles and a side of deep fat…