Health Care Reform

Our family rejoices at the passage of Health Care Reform! We feel it is as important as the civil rights legislation. Hallelujah!

Aging Productively

No one can avoid aging, but aging productively is something else.

Katharine Graham



Thoughts on aging productively of which I often need reminding: Rarely is anyone interested in more than a brief overview of personal health problems. I maintain that everyone has the right to complain once a day; after that, please enter the "ministry of the shut mouth." (John Ortberg)


Negative talk about your health or about politics or about the weather for more than a few minutes drags down everyone. People do not like to be around the aging whiner. I am aware that when you feel bad, it is hard to think of anything else. But personal experience with older people who live with grace has demonstrated to me that positive talk is very attractive.


For me, a cardinal rule is avoiding the standard lines such as "I am having a senior moment" or the jokes about old men and old women. Such conversation is equal to going around saying "I am so dumb" which everyone acknowledges is self defeating. "Ageism" goes un-noticed, unlike sexism and racism.



Listening, thinking of others and being interested in contemporary society can help us age productively.