I’m sitting at the Cracker Box, having lunch with a few of my old buddies. We promised long ago we’d never dwell on our latest ailments or surgeries, but we can’t help ourselves. So much medical stuff is going on with us that we begin to out-story one another’s latest …
I often thought it was strange how older people took naps in the middle of the day. One afternoon around 2 p.m., while visiting my parents in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, I caught my dad, Vern, wrapped around his pillow, sound asleep. I knew he was out of it because he …
The older I get, the more I recognize the importance of friendship. My conviction was reinforced by a study from the University of Pennsylvania. It found when employees do not have friendships among colleagues at their jobs, they tend to care less about the quality of their …
Loneliness is a bigger thing than I ever imagined. I believe a few of my best friends are suffering from it and don’t want me to know (or don’t know it yet themselves). Thomas Wolfe wrote in “God’s Lonely Man,” “The whole conviction of my life now rests upon the belief …
One error I continue to make is waiting for big things to happen. Big things can be super-duper good, like winning the lottery or discovering your old best friend moved back to your hometown. Big things also can be negative, like finding out you need another knee surgery or …
My mother was one of the most powerful forces in my life. Irene Kuhl could snap me to attention from a deep slumber. First came the command, such as, “Don, take out the garbage right now,” or “Don, you better apologize to Father Ryan for missing his religion class …
I’m not sure how this story relates to aging (maybe you can suggest a connection). However, I’m feeling compelled to share it with you. Sherry and I like to eat at this fancied-up bar and restaurant where couples often meet for the first time after searching numerous …
I don’t mean to complain, but there’s this little thing that drives me a bit nuts. It’s when a good friend or family member calls me. (Key: Remember, they call me.) I’m so happy to hear from them. I like them. I want to hear what’s up in their lives and I have a few …
Gregg Richardson is a clinical neuropsychologist. He also had the opportunity to care for his elderly parents in his home for the last few years of their lives. Gregg led with the love he had for his mom and dad, but he also had the clinical background to observe their …
I never thought about this much before I came home from the hospital after my back surgery. Sherry and I are not big touchers. We hold hands from time to time (mainly to keep me upright, not so much for the romance of it all). We also hug each day, but it’s generally with …
