There aren’t too many phrases that evoke more dread and fear than “open-heart surgery.” After all, the patient is literally having their chest opened and their heart operated on, which is not something you usually want to happen. In many ways, the main difference between surgery and violence is the intent. This is especially scary […]
Continue ReadingOur language has a lot of metaphors for being calm: “A port in a storm,” and, “The still point of the turning world,” are just two examples. They all engagingly invoke a common image: There is tumult, and somewhere in that tumult, there is peace. You just have to find it. The reason these metaphors […]
Continue ReadingIt wasn’t that long ago that housing specifically for the LGBT community was, at best, unthinkable, and at worst, very dangerous. There might have been some instances when apartment owners turned a blind eye and rented to “spinsters” or “confirmed bachelors,” but larger groups of LGBT members living together could be turned on in an […]
Continue ReadingEveryone deserves to grow older with dignity and pride, and without having to hide who they are. At Institute on Aging (IOA), we strongly support LGBTQ rights and feel that older adults, who had to spend much of their life hiding, deserve to celebrate who they are. These aren’t special rights: These are basic human […]
Continue ReadingIn song and story, and even in our perception of ourselves, life is pictured as a journey. It’s a metaphorical path, like a Keane kid dotted-line doodle, from birth to death, zig-zagging along river and dale. But when we get older, while we might be moving metaphorically, we too often stop moving physically. That path […]
Continue ReadingLast week at our social day program, I watched a man express his very sincere gratitude to his mother’s caregiver for all that she has done for his mother and his family. He looked the woman in the eyes and brought a hand to his heart as he spoke. He seemed to be communicating from […]
Continue ReadingThink back to the very start of your relationship. Those early months—sometimes years—are an intense time of excitement and expansion. This person you’re developing strong feelings for is helping you to see the world with fresh eyes and enter new experiences in each moment simply because you get to experience these moments with them. This […]
Continue ReadingIn late April of this year, Katherine Switzer ran the Boston Marathon, completing it with an impressive time of 4:44:31. This was slightly slower than her first Boston marathon, in which she finished in 4:20, but we can cut her some slack. Her first was 50 years ago, in 1967. She was the first woman […]
Continue Reading“I can’t remember the last time I went to the dentist,” said Charlie, a retired automotive engineer. “I’ve always had pretty good luck with my teeth, so I don’t expect anything will go wrong.” Charlie is one of the roughly 70 percent of older adults without dental insurance in this country. His mindset is a […]
Continue ReadingNothing frustrates my grandmother more than reaching for a memory and its living details and coming up short. There’s nothing, tangible or intangible, that she can do to bring herself closer. Her wheels are spinning, and eventually, feeling defeated, she gives up hope of finding traction. I feel a sense of helplessness too because I […]
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