Alzheimer’s and Dementia (Part II): 5 Strategies for Recreating the Rules for Living. Thought of the Day Stan Goldberg February 4, 2015 Alzheimer’s/dementia, Thoughts of the Day3 CommentsIn part one of this weekly series, I discussed some myths and facts about Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. I stressed the most alarming memory problems have less to do with names and events, and more...
Alzheimer’s and Dementia (Part I): What It Is and What It Isn’t. Thought of the Day Stan Goldberg February 2, 2015 Alzheimer’s/dementia, Thoughts of the Day8 CommentsAlzheimer's: it's becoming a less distant illness and something directly touching us. If a friend or relative doesn't have it or had it, it's just a matter of time before someone you know will. Unfortunately,...
Thought of the Day. Family Conflict (Part III) Preventing Family Conflict Stan Goldberg January 30, 2015 Grieving and Recovery, Life, Thoughts of the Day1 CommentIn Part I of Family Conflict, I presented the idea conflicts often involve looking at the present through our history. In Part II I wrote that “universal” or “enduring” truths are myths-especially when...
Thought of the Day. Family Conflict (Part II) Why Truth is Relative Stan Goldberg January 28, 2015 Grieving and Recovery, Life, Thoughts of the Day1 CommentIn Part I of Family Conflict I presented the idea conflicts often involve looking at the present through our history. There is an amazing similarity in the type of conflicts created by a health crisis and...
Thought of the Day. Family Conflict (Part I): How the Past Affects The Present Stan Goldberg January 26, 2015 Grieving and Recovery, Life, Thoughts of the DayPassover was a dreaded holiday for me as a teenager growing up in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was a time when my uncle, who thought of himself as a "lay Rabbi," rose at the head of the table and straightened...
Thought of the Day: Part 3 Grief Hierarchy- Reducing Grief Stan Goldberg January 22, 2015 Grieving and Recovery, Thoughts of the Day2 CommentsIn Part 1 of Grief Hierarchy, I presented the idea grief shouldn't be evaluated in terms of whose is greater. In Part 2, I introduced the notion (controversial based on the feedback I received) we don't grieve...
Thought of the Day: Part 2 Grief Hierarchy- The Nature of Grief Stan Goldberg January 21, 2015 Grieving and Recovery, Thoughts of the Day2 CommentsTHOUGHT OF THE DAY. In the first installment of this series, I presented the idea grief shouldn't be placed on a hierarchy of importance. I maintained the grief of someone who lost a dog can be as substantial...
Thought of the Day: Part 1 Grief Hierarchy- It Shouldn’t Exist Stan Goldberg January 20, 2015 Grieving and Recovery, Thoughts of the DayEveryone has lost a partner, friend, parent, job, ability, pet, or object that created joy. It is something viewed as irreplaceable by the person experiencing the loss, but often thought trivial by...
A Lesson from Terrorism: Violence and The Grayness of Life Stan Goldberg January 16, 2015 Grieving and Recovery, Life, Thoughts of the Day2 CommentsTHOUGHT OF THE DAY. Each day’s new violence makes people want to retreat into a 1950’s bomb shelter, or buy a home in a gated and guarded community, or hide in a shack in a remote part of the woods. Of...
Elder Abuse: What They Don’t Show on TV Stan Goldberg January 15, 2015 Aging, Thoughts of the DayThought of the Day. A number of years ago I witnessed elder abuse as I walked behind a twenty-something-year-old couple in downtown San Francisco. My hearing then--as opposed to now--was acute enough to hear...
Let Go: Why You Should Prepare Today for Your Eventual Death Stan Goldberg January 13, 2015 End of Life, Thoughts of the Day4 CommentsThought of the Day. Maybe it's the senseless violence of the last few days. Maybe it's realizing my dance with cancer will end. Maybe it's becoming tired of dealing with so many unimportant things. Regardless...
Charlie Hebdo Tragedy: Bad Guys Who Were Willing to Act Stan Goldberg January 8, 2015 Grieving and Recovery, Thoughts of the Day4 CommentsTHOUGHT OF THE DAY. I wrote an article on January 6, 2015 how thoughts are theoretical unless there is a conviction to act (Selma: Why I Write About the Sharp Points of Life). As an example, I cited the civil...
Living With a Cancer Diagnosis, Coffee Distinctions, and Life’s Nuances Stan Goldberg January 7, 2015 Cancer, Thoughts of the Day2 CommentsThought of the Day- I love coffee, but amazed when I read descriptions of their flavors and aromas, "buttery, bitter sweet, raspberry, vanilla, etc." At best I can tell if it's chocolaty, earthy, spicy, hot or...
Selma: Why I Write About The Sharp Points of Life Stan Goldberg January 6, 2015 Aging, Thoughts of the Day8 CommentsFor the past few days trailers about the movie, Selma and criticisms about its historical accuracy flooded the airways. I'll see the movie regardless of the commentaries because I was there. In 1965, I was...
Grief and Recovery: Whatever Gets You Through the Night Stan Goldberg January 2, 2015 Grieving and Recovery, Life, Thoughts of the DayTHOUGHT OF THE DAY. "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," is the title of John Lennon's 1970's hit single. The phrase, credited to Reverend Ike, a famous black radio evangelist in the 1970's, should be the...
Coping With Chronic Pain: The Willingness to Risk Stan Goldberg December 30, 2014 Chronic illness, Thoughts of the DayTHOUGHT OF THE DAY. For two years, the first thing I experienced when I woke and the last thing I felt before falling asleep was pain in my thigh from a less than successful hip replacement. I began a life of...
Hospice: What Country Will Provide the Best Services For Your Loved One? Stan Goldberg December 29, 2014 End of Life, Thoughts of the DayTHOUGHT OF THE DAY. A few years ago I was the keynote speaker at Calgary Hospice and also conducted a workshop where I presented a unique model for seamlessly integrating hospice into culture. Hospice...
Compassion for Those Left Behind: A Holiday Wish For Those Who Are Grieving Stan Goldberg December 23, 2014 Grieving and Recovery, Thoughts of the Day3 CommentsI received a wonderful LinkedIn invitation to connect this morning from the CEO of After A Loss. It is a Canadian service organization I wish exists here in the States--especially for those who are grieving...
Living With A Chronic Illness: Creating a Legacy Stan Goldberg December 22, 2014 Chronic illness, Thoughts of the DaySomeone living with a chronic illness often can't think past today's pain or discomfort. If they can, their focus may be on wondering when the momentary relief will end or how soon the pain will...
Can You Answer Six Questions On How to Be Compassionate to A Loved One Coping With Cancer? Stan Goldberg December 17, 2014 Cancer, Thoughts of the Day4 CommentsMost people want to be compassionate, especially if it involves a loved one or friend coping with cancer. We would like to think that having a love-filled heart is all that’s necessary to do the “right...