Performing a Soft Boot at Sixty

Thank You for Visiting

This website is the culmination of multiple people urging me to share a few challenging life experiences, as others might benefit from my insights and lessons learned.  And while I’ve weathered my own divorce, the sudden and unexpected deaths of my father and both siblings, the journey of my mother’s dementia, complications after major surgery, and perplexing chronic pain, I certainly did not create this site as a platform to whine and seek pity.  The stories are not meant to cause sadness or sympathy.  True … not all of the topics and stories are amusing; however, I come from a long line of dark humor (my mother being the funniest person I’ve ever known).  This is life.  Many of us already have or will, at some point, get thrashed about by one or more events. I believe I am still here because I’ve been able to laugh at both my situation and at myself. Perhaps not at first, but the humor eventually reveals itself.

The last member of my immediate family, my mother, passed away on December 26, 2023.  Hers was a long, heartbreaking battle with vascular dementia, lasting almost 20 years.  I was her advocate, defender, and caregiver until late 2017, when she transferred to a full-time care community. I continued to be her advocate and defender but also became her voice until the end.

And now, I find myself at a strange time in my life in an equally strange land.