3 things I learned from aging parents

3 things I learned from aging parents

My mother-in-law turned 95 this summer. She has seen and done a lot during those years. She raised three children, was a dedicated military wife, managed a bank branch, golfed, made friends she still has today… Of course, that is just the tip of the iceberg…a small sampling of what she has experienced in her…

Shifting focus to the journey, not the destination

Shifting focus to the journey, not the destination

It was this time last year that my mother’s health took a sudden turn for the worse, and she moved into a care center. Now, it’s my mother-in-law’s turn. It’s so hard to watch your parents deteriorate—physically and mentally. It’s natural, I know. It happens to all living things…all things that are blessed to live…

Why does time speed up as we age?

Why does time speed up as we age?

Time flies—and the older you get, the faster it flies. So I’d always been told by my older, wiser family members. They weren’t wrong.  I recently received a LinkedIn message congratulating me on 22 years of service with my current employer. What?!? That can’t be right. I considered myself “middle-aged” when I arrived for my…

What is your why?

What is your why?

Many of you know that I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. I lost 25 pounds and have managed to keep it off (give or take five pounds) for more than 10 years now. Here is my observation. Losing weight is exciting—challenging and maddening, yes—but never boring. Maintaining weight, on the other hand, while…

I didn’t count on this

I didn’t count on this

When I was young and naive—and 50 was ancient—if someone had told me I’d still be figuring out who I was and what I wanted to do with my life at the ripe old age of 54, I would have been shocked and probably devastated. I mean, for most of us, 50 is well past…

Top 10 Fabulous 50s Facts

Top 10 Fabulous 50s Facts

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a Ride!’” ~Hunter S. Thompson In my head, I am still…

The life of a crayon

The life of a crayon

What is it about crayons? For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved them–their distinctive smell, their waxy feel, the amazing variety of colors together in one place. And when I recently brought the subject up to a group of my coworkers, I got an equally strong reaction. Brand-new crayons in the 64-count box…