By Judie Donaldson I recall a number of years ago when my friend Karen called to request a favor. Her father had died that morning, and she called to ask me to pass along a message to our friends. The message? She requested that we each honor her father’s life by living life––by doing something […]
Voice of the Village: What’s up, doc?
By Judie Donaldson Do you ever have the feeling that you’d just like to go back to the good old days? You know, when life was simpler. I’m feeling this way today because I have an appointment with my doctor next week. When I was little, I thought that when you had a physical problem, […]
Voice of the Village; Technology: It’s going to change how we age
By Judie Donaldson I just returned from a vacation with my family at Lake Tahoe, which is about as beautiful and serene a setting as I have known. But, while I was there, I noticed something curious. I observed that my two daughters and two sons-in-law––all of whom are professionals with demanding jobs––were completely free […]
Voice of the Village: A day that changed my life
By Judie Donaldson I was deeply touched by Lois’s last column about losing a friend to Alzheimer’s disease. She shared her experiences and feelings with such tenderness. As I read, my eyes darted from one sentence to the next as I projected how I would feel if I had a similar experience with a good […]
Voice of the Village: Have you ever made an attitude adjustment?
By Judie Donaldson How many times, if ever, have you made a significant change in your life? Have you gotten rid of a seriously bad habit? Have you transformed your attitude toward someone from negative to positive? Have you eliminated a bias? When I was young, I thought that you could just decide to change––and […]
Voice of the Village: She acts like she’s 25, not 85!
By Judie Donaldson She’s 85 and looks like she couldn’t weigh more than 90 pounds. She works out every day with a personal trainer, and can do more pushups that most men in their 40s and 50s. It’s not unusual for her to be working at her desk until four in the morning. “Saturday Night […]
Voice of the Village: It’s not too late for life planning
By Judie Donaldson Until a few years ago, I never really thought about planning my life in order to be happy. Did you? I thought about things like the importance of being a good person and living a good life, creating opportunities for my children, having work that was meaningful, making a contribution to the […]
Voice of the Village: I thought I’d heard of everything
By Judie Donaldson I did. I thought I’d heard of everything. What a foolish assumption, and it hit home today when I was wading through a recent issue of the New Yorker. Let me explain what prompted me to do a double take. It was a simple story about a man, a Tokyo salesman in […]
Voice of the Village: Engage at every age
By Judie Donaldson I know that this will seem un-American, but I’m a Mother’s Day scrooge. It isn’t that I oppose mothers being lauded and honored. Quite the contrary. I’d just like it to happen in an authentic manner, rather than through a commercialized “Hallmark card day” or as an excuse for another mattress sale. […]
Voice of the Village: What I didn’t know about Islam
By Judie Donaldson What can you tell me about Islam? I thought that I had a little understanding through reading, but I just learned that most of what I “knew” was wrong! Fortunately, thanks to Carquinez Village, I’m better informed today. Every month, Carquinez Village hosts an educational field trip, and last month it consisted […]