Over the course of 50+ years as a social-work professional and mentor, I’ve discovered that a simple pen or pencil can be one of the most successful tools to inspire self-discovery, lasting growth, and life-satisfaction. In “The Health Benefits of Journaling,” social-work professional Maud Purcell states: “The act of writing accesses your left brain, which…
DetailsGrandparents often ask me, “How will I be remembered?” They know that they can leave valuables, but things can be lost, discarded or no longer considered valuable. A legacy of values, however, can guide grandchildren in their daily life, school, friendship, family relationships. A value such as kindness becomes integrated into the being of the…
DetailsThis letter from Barbara Howard, to her grandma, was written when Barbara was 80. It’s part of the “The Grandchildren Speak” series, where we collected letters from grandchildren sharing what they learned from their grandparents. My Grandma Nettie was an old-fashioned Midwestern farm wife. She and Grandpa had nine children whom they raised on…
DetailsIn my book, The Grandest Love: Inspiring the Grandparent-Grandchild Connection, I asked grandchildren to write a letter their their grandparents. The topic was “what I learned from you.” (see others here.) This is a beautiful and meaningful thing for a grandparent to know while they are still alive how they have helped and guided their…
DetailsOne of the guys from our Friday morning coffee klatch (actually, we men call it a “guys group”) pulled me aside to let me know why he would not be there next Friday. “I’m going to Scottsdale to see my granddaughter in her school play.” Of course I liked the part where he added “because…
DetailsThrough the many years that I’ve been listening to grandparents share their hopes and dreams, their regrets and fears, the word “legacy” is one that comes up over and over. It’s a word that carries much weight and many meanings. Most of us, of course, are concerned about our legacy in its most tangible manifestation:…
DetailsBy Jerry Witkovsky, MSW, Author of The Grandest Love: Inspiring the Grandparent-Grandchild Connection and the Grandparent-Grandchild Connection School Program Barbara is counting the days until she and her husband, Dave, become first-time grandparents. A startlingly clear sonogram picture of their grandson in utero is the cover image on their daughter Carrie’s Facebook wall. His name…
DetailsAt 80ish I wrote a chapter for a book, 80 Things to Do When you Turn 80. The chapter was titled “Life is an Adventure. In it I talked about meeting my wife Margaret and our long life together, and on writing a book and rebuilding my life after she passed. The theme for that…
DetailsBy Michael Witkovsky, The Psychiatrist Son There are many horrible and awful things about school shootings. They are life ending for innocents, and life transforming for survivors. There is fear, helplessness, rage and profound sadness. These feelings conspire to activate us towards solving all problems that promote the probability of such rare events. However, one of…
Detailsby Jerry Witkovsky I recently read two articles that have catapulted me to action. The first was from the Washington Post. It identifies seven gun laws that would have a powerful impact on reducing gun violence: red flag laws, relinquishment laws, assault weapons bans, high-capacity magazine bans, gun possession prohibitions for high-risk individuals, gun possession prohibitions for individuals with domestic violence…
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