Omama Gina, our dance was through a flicker of time. So out of place in 1950s Newark; plump, romantic, pre-Raphaelite sprite, with garlands in her hair. We sprawled on her living-room rug, drawing rainbows and sunbursts, princesses and unicorns. And oh we danced, channeling her rebellious sister, the one who had beguiled Kafka. Gina’s (hard…
Details“Separate Realities” of Parents and Children San Francisco-based psychologist Joshua Coleman, Ph.D., is the author of When Parents Hurt: Compassionate Strategies When You and Your Grown Child Don’t Get Along (Harper Collins, 2008). In a blog post for UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, Dr. Coleman recommends: Honor the ‘separate realities’ nature of family life.…
DetailsA few years ago, when I was a teenager, I fell in love with a boy who just really wasn’t right for me in any way. He was rude to my friends, but when they urged me to leave him, I didn’t listen. My mom saw the way he treated me (which wasn’t very good),…
DetailsThere’s a radio ad for First American Bank that features a smart man explaining things to his grandma. While it’s radio, she begs you to imagine a simple old woman from Lithuania, whose primary concern is cooking. Well, as Oldsmobile likes to say…today’s grandma is “not your grandma’s grandma.” Fact in point, here are some…
DetailsBy Jerry Witkovsky (adapted from his book, The Grandest Love: Inspiring the Grandparent Grandchild Connection) Grandparents 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,…
DetailsOUR GRANDPARENTS, OUR MEMORIES – CHOOSE TO CONNECT By Matej Silecky I have been working on a project that, it is safe to say, would not exist without the lifelong influence of all of my grandparents. The project, “Baba Babee Skazala” translates from Ukrainian to English as “Grandmother told Grandmother.” Basically, it consists of: oral…
DetailsThanks to Vivien Orbach-Smith, Editor of The Grandest Love: Inspiring the Grandparent-Grandchild Connection, for sharing this kudos on The Grandest Love Facebook Page: Congratulations to Jill Filipovic, one of the contributors to The Grandest Love, upon the release today of her first book, The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness. In this excerpt from her…
DetailsDan Chamberlin, Co-Chair of the Special Education Department and School Champion for the Grandparent program at Deerfield High School, joined Jerry Witkovsky, along with family and friends, when Mayor Rosenthal proclaimed “Jerry Witkovsky Day in the Village of Deerfield” last month. (See the Facebook Live Video of the event here.) Dan’s words: So, Jerry,…
DetailsMarch 20, 2017 was named Jerry Witkovsky Day in the Village of Deerfield, to honor the long time Grandparenting Activist’s 89th birthday. Mayor Rosenthal invited the public to join her at Deerfield Village Hall, 850 Waukegan Road, on March 20 at 7:30 p.m for the ceremony. Read more about the honor and Jerry in the Chicago…
DetailsGrandparents have a transformative effect on their family when they teach their skills, manifest their creativity and give voice to their passions. I set up my first Grandparent Connection School Program at Deerfield High School in 2009. The Deerfield High School grandparent program is still going strong. Over 300 grandparents attended the star event…
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