Tag Archives: support system
Getting Beyond Grief
I am a single gay man in my early 60s. I am having a real problem getting beyond grief. My ex-partner died almost five years ago. We were a couple for 11 years but lived together a total of 21 … Continue reading
Reflections on Children
We want better reasons for having children than not knowing how to prevent them — Dora Russel ‘The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not over nature but of ourselves.’ — Rachel Carson To nourish children and raise … Continue reading
Rely on Pets and Friends
This is a particularly bad time for me. I do not have any family. My husband died of dementia about 6 years ago. I am losing a close friend to cognitive issues and another to cancer. I am the cranky … Continue reading
What Lingers
Long before her diagnosis, my reliably cheerful friend turned sour. Even our most mundane conversations became contentious. Pessimism and frustration darkened her world. Eventually, as words eluded her and her thinking grew disorganized, the diagnosis came: early dementia. Terrifying, yes, … Continue reading
Witness Marks
“See that?” The clock repairman pointed his flashlight beam on a small, fine mark roughly engraved inside the old grandfather clock he was working on in our home. “Another repairman could have put that there almost a century ago,” he … Continue reading
Real Life of an MSW 