La Bohème: A Old Lesson in Living and Dying Stan Goldberg December 3, 2014 End of Life, Thoughts of the Day 7 Comments Last night with my wife I attended La Boheme, an opera by Puccini showing how little attitudes about dying changed since 1896 when the opera was...
What Richard Pryor Has In Common with Cancer Support Stan Goldberg November 28, 2014 Cancer, Thoughts of the Day THOUGHT OF THE DAY When I was listening to a PBS tribute of Richard Pryor, it became apparent how our history plays out in the present. It’s...
Aging and a Shrinking World Stan Goldberg November 20, 2014 Aging, Thoughts of the Day When friends die death comes closer to us
Life Lessons From People Living With and Dying From Cancer Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Cancer, Thoughts of the Day 11/18/14 I often think about a patient I served in hospice who was dying from cancer. Once a week we would go to a place he chose—usually...
When Your Cancer Says “Hello.” Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Cancer, Thoughts of the Day 10/29/14-Although I’ve lived with prostate cancer for twelve years, it’s not something that I dwell upon. But inevitably, at least once a day, it...
When a Friend Wants to Talk About Something Uncomfortable Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Chronic illness, Thoughts of the Day 06/09/14 A friend I know for more than 20 years asked to speak with me about a life-threatening illness. He didn’t want medical advise. He was...
Aging: In Praise of Adaptation Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Aging, Thoughts of the Day 06/09/14 As I age and read books on how I can recreate the body I had when I was 20 by just buying a jar of this newly developed elixer that...
Aging and Identity Part III: We’re Not Dead Yet Stan Goldberg May 12, 2014 Aging 24 Comments We may be changing, but we’re not dead yet. I think people who are younger than us—like our adult children—are often confused about how to react to our diminishing abilities.
Aging and Identity Part II-When the Ground Shakes Stan Goldberg April 15, 2014 Aging 9 Comments In 2009 I wrote, When the Ground Shakes, an article in which I described finding my mother coming out of a forested area holding a bunch of sticks...
Few Insights Drinking Mai Tais on the Beach Stan Goldberg January 29, 2014 Aging, Workshops and Presentations For more than 30 years I've been brought, kicking and screaming, to the sharp points of life. What I've learned is instead of running away, bring them closer and you'll enrich your life and ease your death
Caregiving: Why Change is Difficult Stan Goldberg May 18, 2013 Caregiving 10 Comments (An Excerpt from Leaning Into Sharp Points). Change is analogous to a large boulder balanced on a precipice. It looks like it could tumble off the...
Seeing Life Through Our Personal History: It’s a Gray World Stan Goldberg October 15, 2012 Aging, Grieving and Recovery, Life 16 Comments Most of us believe the world should be viewed as we see it. And when there is a discrepancy between the right way—ours—and the wrong way, we are,...
Understanding Aging: We’re Not Children Stan Goldberg July 18, 2012 Aging 22 Comments The good news is we are living longer. The bad news is it’s taking us longer to die. Soygul Rinpoche, the Tibetan monk and philosopher said that “Death is no big deal. You breathe in, you breathe out, and then you don’t breathe in anymore.”
When You Can’t Let Go Stan Goldberg April 25, 2012 Grieving and Recovery 24 Comments Whenever I hear about the importance of letting go of the past, I think about a conversation I had with my mother more than thirty years ago. She...
Leaning Into Sharp Points: Practical Guidance and Nurturing Support (Video) Stan Goldberg April 3, 2012 Interviews Simon Singh and Stan Goldberg have a conversation about...
Want Enlightenment? Think Less, Do more Stan Goldberg March 30, 2012 Grieving and Recovery, Life 12 Comments When I gave a workshop on change at a well-known retreat center, one participant told me that this was the tenth week-long workshop he attended in...
Alzheimer’s: Awareness Isn’t Enough Stan Goldberg March 22, 2012 Alzheimer’s/dementia 14 Comments “If we just could increase awareness,” some of my friends with Alzheimer’s say, “funding would rise and the illness could be eventually...
Feeling like a 1960 Edsel?-You’re Just Aging Stan Goldberg March 1, 2012 Aging 14 Comments When I was in college I would take whatever I was driving and offer it and $50 to a used car dealer for anything that ran on his lot with a current...
I’m Different: Illness-based Identity Stan Goldberg February 15, 2012 Chronic illness 24 Comments How we view ourselves—our identity—is based on what we do, the roles we play, activities we enjoy, affiliations we have, the values that...
Saying Goodbye to Your Dying Loved One: A Tribute Party Stan Goldberg February 1, 2012 End of Life 22 Comments Excerpt from Leaning Into Sharp Points" Practical Guidance and Nurturing Support for Caregivers. One of the first things Dean did when I entered his...
