This article was first written before the coronavirus struck the world. It has even more cogency now. Death and dying do not make for a jolly subject of any conversation, but it is part of life. And none of us is getting any younger. Is death or dying something you…
Usually, when anyone writes about the joys of bed, they are thinking of one of two things: the pleasures of a good night’s sleep or, alternatively, of sex. I am a great believer in both, but I am not writing about either here. No, bed means more than either of…
I heard a simple quote years ago, but back then didn’t understand the meaning. I had to look it up to check. In fact, I remembered it wrong. I thought it was Groucho Marx who said “The best reason to have children is in order to have grandchildren.” But nope,…
Nearly thirty years ago, when HIV/AIDS was rampant, I became close friends with a young man diagnosed with the disease. He was very active in the AIDS world and was organising an international conference of people with HIV and AIDS, to be held in London. These were the dark days…
A few years ago, I wrote a book called ‘Celebrating Grandmothers’. Some people wonder what the title was all about. Was it a good title or, in retrospect, should I have given it a different one? The purpose of a book title Book titles are supposed to catch the reader’s…
As we move into our ‘senior years’, a whole lot of new questions begin to emerge in our day-to-day thinking. Some of us may look into the future and begin to worry about coping with long term illness or, indeed, dying. Others, in contrast, may begin to think about the…
A friend asked me recently whether she should take on the role of volunteer in a cause she believed in and for an organisation she trusted. My immediate reaction, based on my own experience, was “Yes, go for it.” Being a volunteer is likely to present a whole new series…
In recent years, we have all become conscious of the hidden army of people known as ‘carers’ (‘caregivers’ in the US). These are the people who look after a frail (or confused) family member or friend. They may be daughters (or sons) looking after an elderly parent or, perhaps, a…
An old friend and I were chatting recently via email. She had sent me a photograph she had taken of me earlier that day. I replied that it made me notice how very white my hair is and that I needed a haircut. It also reminded me that I…
People everywhere are fascinated by sex. I am not the first to say so. We wonder what other people do and when and what it means to them. And some wonder how long it continues. When I was in my 20s, I naively thought that sex was only for…
