Episodes

Jane Seskin, a licensed clinical social worker, is a prolific poet who, at age 80, published a collection of 89 poems in the book OLDER WISER SHORTER: The Truth and Humor of Life After 65. With humor and insight, Jane observes how she is learning to acknowledge, accommodate, and accept the vulnerabilities and new-found joys of aging. Early in her career as a therapist for crime victims, Jane witnessed people’s resilience to survive. As a therapist and writer, she advocates “talking to each...

Jan Shaw King, 71, is a strong, resilient woman whose courage led her to create illustrative works that live on in all of our memories. Her first mentor was her grandmother who taught her to see colors and shadows and be brave enough to follow her path. You may remember Ranger Bob and How the Big Bad Wolf Saved Christmas. Children’s stories make up a major part of her portfolio. Jan’s company, Wyld Blue Entertainment, develops imaginative art for theme parks and major movie studios. "My impress...

B. Rosemary Grant, PhD, Research Scholar Emerita at Princeton University, is world-renowned for 40 years of pioneering fieldwork, with her husband, Peter, on two uninhabited islands in the Galapagos archipelago. Their studies of Darwin’s finches in their natural environment have made enormous contributions to evolutionary biology and ecology. In her memoir- -One Step Sideways, Three Steps Forward--Rosemary chronicles her amazing journey: teaching in the Finnish fashion; marrying and formin...

Holly Zeinfeld, 79, has moved 22 times and lived in 8 states during her marriage to Steve. They were partners in life and in work until he died a little over a year ago. Holly cared for him in home hospice for 7 years with periodic help from her son. Everywhere Holly goes, she finds meaningful work to do and makes lifelong friends. She calls herself the Director of Intangibles. No fitness center for pregnant women? She buys one and learns Lamaze to teach it and improve women’s lives. Employees ...

Wendy Cole, age 76, was 67 when she decided to live out in the world as the female she was born to be. As a young person, Wendy was informed by ‘authorities’ that she was a male with a psychological condition that was untreatable and uncurable; she was “a freak.” Wendy tells her story of living 45 years of repression while hiding her secret from the outside world. On the brink of suicide in 2014, Wendy learned her diagnosis had changed back in 2012. It is now treatable by therapy, hormones, an...

Cynthia Bargar, 76 is the author of Sleeping in the Dead Girl’s Room (Lily Poetry Review Books), selected as a Massachusetts Book Awards 2023 Honors Poetry Book. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Sugar House Review, Ocean State Review, Lily Poetry Review, Verse Daily, On the Seawall, The Last Milkweed Anthology, and elsewhere. Cynthia is associate poetry editor at Pangyrus LitMag. She lives in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Cynthia has had 3 careers. First, teaching video and photogr...

On the northshore of Chicago, there has existed a magical boutique gift store for 37 years. Its name: The Yellow Bird. Recently the shopping center where it had thrived all those years, was sold to make room for new residential buildings and some commercial. Yellow Bird’s lease was over but Carol was not. Yellow Bird’s owner, Carol Schaner, 87, was not yet ready, however, to lock the door and walk away. She, her daughter and indispensable manager, Laura, were determined to successfully relocate....

Andrea Gilats—writer, educator, artist, yoga instructor—believes that “when one writes a memoir, one has to be oneself.” Andrea’s captivating new memoir, Radical Endurance: Growing Old in an Age of Longevity, reveals her journey of ‘discovery through the pitfalls and possibilities of aging.’ She reflects on dealing with prolonged grief following the early death of her husband, navigating serious chronic illnesses while living alone, and learning to recreate her identity and sense of belong...

For 15 years, Karen Allen (age 73), actor and director of stage and film, and Sarah T. Schwab (age 39), writer, director and producer, have enjoyed collaborating on theatre and film productions, notably addressing oft-avoided discussions about dying and loss. Their award-winning film, A Stage of Twilight—written and directed by Sarah and starring Karen—is a “grass- roots awareness campaign for end-of-life care and decisions.” It raises the difficult question: “Whose death is it—who has the...

Sharon A. Brangman, MD, Syracuse NY, is a geriatrician who has been a leader in the field of geriatrics for over two decades. Her focus is directly on the phenomenon of normal cognitive aging, concentrating on prevention. Dr. Brangman serves as Chair of the Department of Geriatrics, Director of the Center for Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease and is a Distinguished Service Professor at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. She has held leadership roles at the national level and was elected t...

From a very young age, Pamela Rand, 81, described herself as a comic, a clown, a funny kid who liked to make people laugh. She continues today to sing, dance, speak in multiple accents and create skits on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTock. Laughing at herself is her prime mode of comedy. In her early 20’s, Pamela went to Clown School in Paris where she journeyed within to discover her inner clown. Having lost both her mother and brother, this “school of movement, mind and theater” helped...

For 50 years, Marcia Naomi Berger, 79, has experienced a journey from madness to love and meaning. Her first manic episode was at 29, when she was already a well-respected licensed clinical social worker - an experienced psychotherapist well-trained in cognitive-behavioral, family systems, process, and psychodynamic approaches. She draws from many treatment approaches to fit the needs of her clients. Naomi’s life changed abruptly when she experienced the first of two difficult hospitalizations....

Anne Burke, age 80, retired Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, began her career as a physical education teacher, earned her undergraduate degree as an adult student at the School for New Learning/DePaul University, completed a law degree while raising four children, and created the Special Olympics. Her law practice centered on helping vulnerable children and citizens. Anne served on the Illinois Supreme Court for 16 years, the last three years as chief justice, during the covid pandem...

Ruth Schimel, 84, has original ways to make the most of life’s possibilities. An author of over 70 published articles and seven books, she was previously a diplomat/foreign service officer at the Department of State. She has also taught at four universities. With her mother, Ruth created the Schimel Lode to promote collaboration and innovation in the DC area. In her 40’s, Ruth designed an inside-out approach to career and life management that transcended narrow labeling of her clients. Preferri...

Through Top Sixty Over Sixty, Helen writes articles and speaks at conferences to encourage a reframed narrative of aging, one that reflects the age realities of the 21st century. She emphasizes the need for a longevity focus, encourages an entrepreneurial mindset, and cautions against internalized ageism which undermines the potential of older adults. Top Sixty Over Sixty also provides programs and courses for older adults as well as businesses and companies to help everyone benefit from our agi...

Janis Clark Johnston is a family psychologist, speaker, and author of several books, most recently Transforming Retirement: Rewire and Grow Your Legacy. When she experienced 9/11, Janis says, she became more sensitive to other’s pain and loss. Planning rituals to honor the person you lost helps you to grow during the grieving process. Keeping a gratitude journal, for example, is a process that is creative by nature and becomes a daily ritual. Janis believes that recognizing the difference betw...