"I feel the earth move under my feet; I feel the sky tumbling down..."

When Carole King, the legendary singer/songwriter, belted out these words at a fundraiser this week, I felt myself tumbling through time. This inimitable song from Tapestry, King's 1971 best-selling album of all-time, has...

I love a good fantasy.

These days, I find myself fantasizing about what I might do in my retirement. What trips I'll take, volunteer work I'll do, time I can spend bugging my kids.

And so, at my friend Susan's retirement party, I was most anxious to hear what...

My folks recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. That's right: Sixty years of mutual devotion, regular frustration, occasional spats and a fierce commitment to the greater good. There were no hot air balloon rides or tandem sky jumping stunts. No open bar. Not even a harbor cruise. The auspicious milestone...

Being a woman "of age" has its advantages. One of the biggest is knowing how things will turn out. During this season of valentines, I'm going to pen a love letter to my younger self, reassuring her about life's major milestones and telling her what I now know: It will...

Imagine a GPS that guides you easily along a road for hundreds of miles, then suddenly the voice command blurts out, "Turn left...No turn right! Make a U-turn. Stop! Go!" You'd feel pretty frazzled, right? Well, that's what caregiving is often like, particularly for those who are caught off guard....

I recently attended a wonderful bar mitzvah. It was stunning. Afterwards, I called my friend (let's call him "Jonathan"), the gracious host, to tell him. I couldn't believe his response: "I'm glad I have friends who know how to behave."

He then recounted the litany of faux pas visited upon...

Sometimes the signs are right there in front of you -- whether you can spot them immediately or not. For me, it was during the holidays, when my dad wandered away from a family gathering and emerged hours later, disheveled and upset.

"Where were you?" my mother asked, aghast...

A few weeks ago my sister sent me an apologetic email. She had forgotten my son's birthday. The same week she couldn't remember where she parked her car and she lost one of her favorite earrings. Her excuse? "I'm a card carrying member of the "I can't remember sh*t club,"...

The 2012 campaign season has been a real mud fest. And, unlike with other extreme sports, no one seems to find this display entertaining. Ask almost anyone you run in to at the supermarket or neighborhood coffeehouse and they'll tell you they hate negative campaign ads and speeches.
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As the holidays approach, I want to share a story with you. It's the story of a friend of mine, Noreen* -- a typical sandwich-generation mom and daughter who had many people and priorities to juggle. But it was at Thanksgiving last year when she realized something needed to change....

When I speak to my son and his friends who are entering the workforce, I give simple advice: Do something you love. And don't work for assholes.

Sounds easy enough, doesn't it? But it has taken me a lifetime of trial and error to figure out how to make...

A recent CNN headline proclaims, "Smartphones make us superhuman." The story goes on to cite the myriad ways in which handheld communication devices -- complete with multimedia recording and sharing capabilities -- have changed the world. Injustices have been revealed, revolutions abetted and routine chores simplified by modern...

Blissful, unscheduled summer is ending and all too soon, autumn will be upon us. While I do have wonderful memories of Fall in New England (truly, I believe Massachusetts is the best place to appreciate the natural, spectacular change in seasons), what I mostly recall -- frantically preparing for

Am I the only one who barely (no pun intended) got through book one of Fifty Shades of Grey? Most of the women in my book club, all ages 50 and over, couldn't put it down. E L James' trilogy, which delves into the more esoteric, hard-edged aspects...

My friend described the experience of seeing Glen Campbell in concert in one word: Amazing.

Glen Campbell -- the eternal Rhinestone Cowboy -- captivated the standing-room-only baby boomer audience. They cheered, danced and sang as Campbell's sonorous voice echoed through the concert hall. As he belted out...

Beach books promise escape. Frothy language, plucky heroines, flawed heroes and convoluted -- but ultimately predictable -- plots take us away from mundane woes. How can the kids squabbling, coworkers complaining, and house guests taking over the spare bedroom compare to the thrill of illicit affairs, ancient artifacts and death-defying...

I hosted a belly dancing class at my house last Saturday night. Ten women showed up, ranging in age from 54 to 64. The teacher, who sold the class to me as a fundraiser for an arts organization, was herself just shy of 60 and has been belly dancing for...

It's part of the American mythology: Dad as hero. He's bigger, stronger and smarter than anyone else, and you can always count on him to ride to the rescue. At least that's the way it's supposed to be.

Sociologists could have a field day sorting out the gender stereotypes and...

My friend leans forward, gripping her latte with both hands. "He looked so peaceful, lying there on the couch with an afghan bunched under his head," she said. "I could hear him snoring slightly -- just like he did when he was a baby. Sound asleep. And you know what?...

Mother's Day cards make me laugh. I'm not talking about the wild-and-bawdy cards for single-again Moms or even the sound-chip cards showcasing a chorus of tiara-topped poodles. No, I laugh at all those heartfelt cards that pour forth with flowery verses and profusions of adverbs, all designed to express some...