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Living in NYC is a tectonic shift for someone who spent most of her life in St. Louis, MO. Moving here takes courage, a sense of adventure, instinct, a bit of knowledge and a certain cunning—walking fast, not making eye contact with strangers, learning where things are, where to shop and where not to go, where to walk alone especially at night and where it might not be safe, and which busses or subways to take. I no longer have a car—a relief—and rely on my two legs or public transportation. Mostly, if going a fair distance, I opt to...

Enjoy experiences not stuff; the memories are far more permanent Be kind(er) than you think necessary; practice little acts of kindness that cost you nothing Mix up your friendships to be more diverse. Also, make friends of various age groups—it makes your life more interesting Get out of your comfort zone not just thinking about it but doing it. Make a change. Declutter, eat or cook something new, travel to a new place, collect what you really want, try a hobby or activity you’ve never done before, make a new friend or two or extricate yourself from a toxic friendship,...

On a chilly Friday as the sun negotiates the cloudy afternoon sky, I walk to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) on the Upper West Side of New York City to bake holiday cookies with a group of strangers for homeless and underserved seniors. Security is heavy at the door as I hand over my cell phone and keys, open my purse for inspection of the contents and walk through an X-ray machine. I take the elevator down to the building’s sub-basement and enter a smallish room called the Patti Gelman Culinary Arts Center where four baking stations await us. The...

So many of us feel we must get all mushy-gushy on Valentine’s Day as we face stores crammed with everything red and heart shaped. For some of us boomers, Valentine’s Day and the romantic love it purports, all seems forced and saved up for one day that’s manufactured and capitalized on by the many candy firms, florists and card companies. Yet, we follow the same ritual year after year for fear that if we don’t, we may hurt the feelings of our nearest and dearest. So, we gift them something sweet and romantic, take them out for a special meal...

 Oh, it’s so tempting to veer into another lane and take up the entire highway as long as nobody’s in your way. Or, it’s so nice to inch over into your partner’s side of the bed, spread out more and even hog his/her pillow and blanket. Or, how tempting and delicious it seems to be to give your grown kids some of what’s really on your mind since they should know what we think. After all, we’ve lived longer and have such brilliance stored up just for this very moment. Ha! We all have the urge at times to cross...