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Rites of Passage: Weddings
By its nature, a rite of passage is a ceremony intentionally practiced and witnessed by a group whose members affirm that the person who completed the actions of the rite has been irrevocably changed. Thinking about the elements of today’s weddings and funerals, I can see why writer Ronald L. Grimes says ritual may have…
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The Dilemma of Dementia and Driving: Taking away the keys?
Your spouse has Alzheimer’s. You know he – or she – shouldn’t be driving. When you bring up the subject, you hear some version of, “That’s ridiculous! I know how to drive a car.” He might be right. He might still know how to drive a car. The problem is that he shouldn’t be driving…
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Ritual: A Baby is Born
Cue the scene from The Lion King when Rafiki lifts the newborn cub, Simba, to the heavens and proclaims him King Mufasa’s son and heir to Pride Rock. I bet you can hear the music, The Circle of Life. For centuries, cultures the world over marked the arrival of a baby with a ritual. For…
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“I Didn’t See It Coming” – Interview with LBD caregiver Mary Lou Falcone
Mary Lou Falcone became a caregiver when her father had a massive stroke. She was 10 years old. The experience prepared her for the day, many years later, when her husband, illustrator and 1950s rocker Nicky Zann, was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). In her memoir, I Didn’t See It Coming: Scenes of Love,…
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Episode 14: My First Holiday Season Alone
My husband died last summer. He had Alzheimer’s. I’ve experienced a lot of “firsts” without him: his birthday, my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and most recently, Valentine’s Day. Some of those days passed without incident. Others…not so much. It’s March. I survived the first holiday season alone. I know there is no end-point…
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Guidelines for Writing Your Own Wedding Vows
A wedding vow, whether traditional or personal, is the most universal way for a couple to satisfy their declaration of intent, one of the two legal requirements for marriage ceremonies in the United States. Reciting personal vows gives couples the opportunity to express __________, knowing moments later the second of the two legal requirements will…
