Latest Stories

Americans work harder and vacation less than almost anybody else in the world.

Sure, we have a nice GDP.  But we’re not the happiest country.  That would be Finland, for the 4^th year in a row, according to the World Hap... Read More

Giving Birth at 72. It's a Book!

After four years of gestation, I’ve finally produced a book.  Its name:  Reclaim Your Right to Grow Old ... Read More

What I’ve Learned About the World While Being Shut Off From It.

Under quarantine I’ve gained valuable insight about myself and life in general.  It’s not hard to imagine.  When we’re cut off from life as we ... Read More

We live in a beautiful ecosystem and a dangerous one.

We don’t often think of the earth as a dangerous place.  The sun shines, rain comes down.  Birds fly through the air.  But our planet is alive with all ki... Read More

This may be the end of the year, but for those who celebrate Christmas, December is a beginning.

The season is called Advent, and I remember having an Advent calendar when I was in grade school.  Many of the kids who went to the Episcopal church I did had these magical, midnight... Read More

We understand your despair.

You, the young among us, have inherited a climate that is out of control, an economy that doesn’t work for you and wars overseas that you didn’t start.  And you b... Read More

I’m not sure how I feel about those magazine features that tell you what to wear at 50, 60 or 70+.

I always find myself going a few pages back to see what they say 20, 30 or 40-year-olds should wear because I think the stuff they show for older women is boring.

When I... Read More

A few months ago when I turned 71, I found my patience waning.

A few months ago when I turned 71, I found my patience waning. 

First, my cat died.  Ten days later my dear mother-in-law, Dorothy, passed away.&nb... Read More

I wasn't going to visit Dachau.

My husband is half-Jewish, so he felt he needed to see it.  I didn’t want him to go alone so I went with him.  It turns out I needed to see it, too.

Sometimes when I see myself in the mirror, I think I look better than I did 30 years ago.

I should be embarrassed to admit this.  Because we’re not supposed to say anything about our own looks, particularly if it is favorable. 

But... Read More

Tell me again why you can't put your phone down?

When we were in Paris to celebrate my 70^th birthday, we rode the Metro (subway) everywhere.  It is such a civilized way to travel.  At every stop peop... Read More

I am a little old lady.

Yes, I know I’ve always been 5 feet, 9 inches tall, but at my last medical check-up I found out that I’ve lost half an inch.  That makes me littler than I&rsq... Read More

The first word I ever said was “hot”.

It wasn’t the usual “mama” or “dada”, according to my mother.  It was descriptive! 

My mom used beaut... Read More

Being single is not all it's cracked up to be.

I remember those years.  Yet, there is freedom to indulge your imagination and do things you wouldn’t  dream of doing if you were married.

In... Read More

I sat by my mother-in-law’s bed.

She was breathing like they do on those Peloton commercials.  A deep, exerciser’s breath.  But she wasn’t exercising, she was dying.

She would’ve laughed if I ha... Read More

Maybe.

I was in the UK recently, and I noticed that older people seemed a lot more relaxed about their age than we are here in the U.S.  Oh sure, Harrod’s in London has its share ... Read More

Dear WWED,

Every time I go to the local grocery, the guy behind the meat counter calls me “young lady”.  When I hand him my number he says, ... Read More

Dear WWED,

I don’t know how I feel about your grow old be happy philosophy. I’ve been fighting aging ever since I turned 50 (12 years ago). I don&... Read More

Dear WWED,

I am 60, female, and the main caregiver of my mother who is 88.  I love her, but she has become quite demanding as she’s gotten older.&... Read More

I just got back from a family wedding in Napa Valley.

The usual wine pairings at dinner with locally-sourced food, and everyone done up in smashing clothes. But the best part of the weekend was re-connecting with my blended family.

Grow Old Be Happy has a new look that I hope will be easier for you to navigate, and easier for me to update.

The new GOBH will still have the same philosophy as the old GOBH.  Because, as we know, there is nothing wrong with anything that is “old”.

... Read More

Lots of good feedback ...

on our University of Denver (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) class titled:  Exploring Stress Reduction, Resiliency and Wholeness As We Age.  

The si... Read More

Over the next few weeks, I'll share some tidbits ...

from our University of Denver (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) class, entitled:  Exploring Stress Reduction, Resiliency and Wholeness As We Age.

Barbara Rein... Read More

Be sure to check out the 4-part series, "Growing Older: Your Guide to Downsizing and Making the Big Move".

Just posted the last installment.  If you're considering making a change in your lifestyle and downsizing to a smaller place once you retire, this series is for you.... Read More

As promised in Parts II and III, we're on to The Big Move.

By now you've found a new home and have begun the downsizing process.  The next step in managing your big move is to find a good moving company.  If you're g... Read More

Part II: Buying and Selling

Now that you have your plan in hand (see Part 1 of Downsizing and Making the Big Move), you can move on to the fun part:  finding a ne... Read More

Paring down. Creating a simpler life. Finding a smaller place in that neighborhood you've had your eye on.

Sounds idyllic, all right, particularly if you're about to retire.  But the process of downsizing and making a big move to a h... Read More

Our most recent class through the University of Denver's OLLI program...

Five Thinkers Explore the Connection Between Aging and Spiritual Growth, seems ... Read More

We're never going to change society's view of aging if we don't admit to ourselves and to others that we are, in fact, growing older.

What is it about revealing our age that makes so many of us so uncomfortable?  Do we think people will somehow think less of us becaus... Read More

Lots of interest in spirituality as we age.

An overflowing classroom for our most recent offering through the University of... Read More

Yesterday I woke up with a mild case of positional vertigo.

It appears that in your inner ear, in the semi-circular canals (you may remember them from high school biology), there are little sand-like particles that can get shaken up if your head is mo... Read More

Newly released data from a ground-breaking study by the National Institutes of Health show that a diet of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, olive oil and fish (and less red meat, processed meat and butter) help people live longer with fewer cases of heart disease and cancer.

It's the cancer findings that are particularly interesting because we're always hearing conflicting reports about what and what... Read More

The number 2 woman at Vogue magazine, creative director Grace Coddington, doesn't look or act the part.

She wears baggy, black ensembles.  She has long, bushy, rather unkempt red-orange hair that flies away from her face.  She hates make-up and, by the looks of it, has never h... Read More

What is the role of an elder in our society? If you take a look at the part Bill Clinton played in Tuesday's election, you might get a pretty good idea.

Whether you agree with Clinton's politics or not, he undoubtedly helped the president win a number of votes by doing several things &am... Read More

The New York Times had an intriguing article on longevity in last week's Sunday Magazine (The Body Issue): "The Enchanted Island of Centenarians".

I've read some of this research before.  It was done by a group of doctors who have written about the "Blue Zones" around the world.  These are are... Read More

Last week I took a trip back home to the Detroit suburb where I grew up.

I had several reunions with people I've known a very long time--friends from grade school and high school, a friend and colleague from my television days, my boss from my first job as... Read More

Act younger, feel younger and be younger. That’s what our society wants you to do.

That’s because there is a lot of money to be made when you, as an older adult, chase after the dream of perpetual youth.  You buy anti-aging drugs and cosmetics, you buy ex... Read More