Memories of the strange and frightening months of quarantine are fading. Is it time to retell those tales of the pandemic shut-down? Read more.
Barbara’s Riffs on Life
What to Say to a Widow
What to say to a widow? Here’s a tip: If the widow in question is me — tell me a true story about my husband. Read more.
Old and Getting Older — The Octogenarian and the Four-Year-Old
Some old people, including me, are a lot like little kids. We like to brag about how old we are. Read more.
People Don’t Die Anymore — They Pass
People don’t die anymore — they “pass.” Otherwise sophisticated, hard-headed people are resorting to euphemisms when the subject is death. Read more.
I’ve Been Widowed Two Years. Now What?
I’ve been widowed two years. What’s next? Anything? My future feels as blank and inscrutable as it did those first months after Jon’s death. Read more.
My Husband’s Name or Mine? I Need Them Both
My husband’s name or mine? I need them both — the name I was born with and the one I took the day I married. Read more.