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Lessons I have learned from others #2

November 29, 2020 in /by

On Friday, November 27th, Fati Madougou, the wife of the former Mayor of Libore, Amadou Madougou, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family.  I met Fati in Niger in 2007, when I went for my first visit in May of that year.  She couldn’t speak a word of English and I could barely say anything in French.  But that is when our special friendship was forged. And in my subsequent 7 visits to Niger over the last 13 years, we met each time in her home or my hotel.  Each time our bond grew stronger, but never through language, never through the spoken word.  We would sit looking at each…

Lessons I have learned from others – #1

November 25, 2020 /1 Comment/in /by

“I love my apartment!’   These were the words that stayed with me this past week as I listened to so many eulogies and memories about Suri Nisker, a daughter, sister, mother and friend, who passed away in her 50s. I had only met Suri once, briefly, because she lived in New York, but I have been good friends with her mother, Noreen, for five years.   Listening on Zoom to the words spoken about her at her funeral and the memorial services that followed, changed my perspective on life and inspired me to start writing a blog on “Lessons I have learned from Eulogies”.   Eulogies from family and…

Aging Preconceived: A Podcast

June 24, 2019 in /by

Does age really matter? Is life so simple that it can be broken down into milestones typically associated with specific ages? Zale breaks down the preconceptions of aging with his mother Robin Mednick, who has taken many twists and turns in her life, starting with an extensive education in law, economics and politics, but ultimately veering in completely different career paths. Robin challenges the notions that “younger is better” and that age puts limits on the goals we set to accomplish.

New York Times Article on legacy

December 12, 2016 in /by

There was a great article in the New York Times on Friday, December 9th, 2016 that talked about older adults finding peace in remembering aspects of their lives and sharing with others: http://nyti.ms/2h6uBMD Always good as we approach the New Year to reflect on our lives and think about the legacy we will leave behind one day.  I encourage everyone to write their letter of legacy to their family and friends this coming year – it will be the greatest gift you can ever give your loved ones.

45 Life lessons as shared by Regina Brett

June 17, 2014 in /by

These words to live by were written by Regina Brett, from Cleveland, in a column she penned years ago. “To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written. So here is the column once more:

My mother’s life reflections

April 8, 2014 in /by

I dedicate this first blog to the memory of my mother, Bernice Henry, a woman who lived life to the fullest and lived it on her own terms. In June of 2013, I sat down with my mother and began to record her life reflections, those moments in time that she remembered from her life that held special meaning for her.  I began to ask questions, but she wasn’t listening to any of them. She just started talking and didn’t stop. At first I thought she wasn’t hearing me.  But then I realized that she just had so much to say that the questions were irrelevant to her.  I stopped…