My Grandmother’s headstone, resting in the High Butte Cemetery where the sun rises over Chimney Rock reads, “She loved life”. My Grandmother grew up in a sod house in the panhandle of Western Nebraska on land that her father and his three brothers homesteaded. I stand on this land now and wonder how they ever made sod “bricks” for their…
When the end of life grows closer, we often ponder the essence of life. Being closer to the end of life is a regular context within the work we do with folks who are older and often living with chronic health issues. And I wonder, could we (as a society) not be seeing the forest for the trees? Could it…
My friend Dottie. I’ve written about her before. She recently turned 97 years old and I was honored to be with her that day…when her family and beloved friends were not able to be with her because of Covid restrictions. The sad reality is that few residents of senior living facilities have regular visits from family and beloved friends. But…
This is my beautiful friend Carol. I have had the honor of being her friend for just a bit more than a year. She is a remarkable woman. A survivor, a Mom, a nurse, a musician. A friend and a partner. A protector and provider for animals in need of care. She loves to tell me the story of being…
On a hot Summer night in Lincoln, Nebraska, when the darkness had made the heat more bearable, I went for a run. I was thirteen years old, and it was the first time I had ever run for the point of running. My Dad was headed out for one of his usual runs that night, and he invited me along. …
