Tending a long and deep friendship — we’ve done it by setting a hiking date once a month, without fail, so that I’m on her calendar and she’s on mine. Read more.
Barbara’s Riffs on Life
Help Me Be a Fun Grandma. I Need Ideas for My Babysitting Week
I agreed to provide child care for a week this summer. Help me be a fun grandma. Tell me, how do I keep two kids, 8 and 5, entertained? Read more.
A Brutal Forced March Across Germany — A ‘Wrestling with God’ Story
Decades after he endured a brutal forced march across Germany, World War II POW Robert Tharratt told his story for my book, “Wrestling with God.” Read more.
Getting Older: I’m Not ‘Keeping Busy’
I’m getting older and older. I’m not ‘keeping busy.’ I’m busy, which is not the same thing. Read more.
Widowed: My Husband Is Missing Out — On the Sight of Two Galaxies Dancing in Space
I’ve been widowed three years. My husband has missed out on a lot in that time, including a parade of images from the Webb Space Telescope. Read more.
Widowed: Marriage Mistakes — If I Could Have a Do-Over, Would I?
Widowed, I think often of my marriage mistakes. Did I leave too many tender words unsaid? Too many small kindnesses undone? Should I have mated his socks for him after I took them out of the dryer? Read more.