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One of us just turned 80. The other is not far behind. Hitting that milestone makes us reflect on who we are at this stage, when time is precious. It’s about accepting the new, older us. As youth, ambition, our looks, and long-held plans begin to shift, we care less about what we accumulate and more about how we love, how we listen, what we return to, what work is worth our days, and how we treat people.  Who are we now? Maria Shriver grappled with this in her Sunday Paper, "I've Been Thinking," on May 23, 2026. Take the...

  One of the positives of older age is that it can be freeing, like an elixir. We can be ourselves, perhaps for the very first time. Why suffer through grumbling about certain medical procedures, uncomfortable clothing, foods, moods, movement, toxic friendships, unpleasant conversations and more when it is acceptable to toss some of our routines and many obligations and even relationships out the window or door?Here are some examples of what has become disposable. Like old newspapers and magazines, we can pitch them or hang on to them forever. It’s our choice. Unpleasant medical procedures that are no longer...

We like to reminisce about the good old days, which seem to take on a more magical glow the further away we get from them. We remember less the angst we may have felt as teens or young adults, whether from romantic heartaches, parental rules, or spats with friends, and more the joy of those younger years.   It was a very different time. There was no Internet. Cell phones, dating apps and social media didn’t exist. People met in person and communicated on the phone. You could call a business, and a live person would answer, not a chatbot....

We’ve all fallen into the trap of blurting out something we shouldn’t say to someone, and it can come across as unseemly or hurtful. Many times, we catch ourselves and apologize. But we don’t always hear ourselves. As we age, we try to master the art of holding back critical comments to avoid the common malady of lost-filter moments (LFMs).  How we each chastised our parents and other elderly relatives when critical or hurtful unsolicited words or opinions poured from their mouths like water.  Suddenly, we started hearing unsolicited barbs and advice from our peers: “That dress really isn’t flattering,”...

Can you be positive all the time? If so, you’re either a saint or the biggest phony on the planet. Positivity is great at the right time and place. Using it indiscriminately can be toxic. For example, it is really disconcerting and, quite frankly, annoying when you tell someone you’re upset that black ants were found in the basement of your new home, and they respond, “That’s no big deal. Just call an exterminator.” Or someone says about an upcoming cataract surgery, “Don’t worry, it’s really a nothing procedure, fast and over in the blink of an eye.” To you,...