I’m honored that my book, “Fran’s Song,” is part of this selection. If you’re a dementia caregiver, you will find comfort and strength in these memoirs. With dementia, Mother’s Day is every day of the year. Get your copy of the booklet here. Continue reading
The pandemic raging out of control, with 5 million-plus infections and more than 160,000 deaths. Unrest in major cities still reeling from the death of George Floyd. And millions of Americans worried about the looming loss of unemployment benefits and the prospect of not paying their rent or mortgage or putting bread on the table. … Continue reading
I pledge my unwavering devotion to your well-being. I will strive hard to keep you stress-free. I will try to convert chaos to calm on your worst days. I will help you find strength of purpose on your best days. I pledge patience as you express deep-seated fears. I will serve as your confidante and … Continue reading
(Dedicated to family caregivers everywhere!) You see me on my worst days when you sit silently, a gentle presence in a turbulent world. You reach out to me with no expectation for reply. You know that my curtain of silence is not drawn to exclude you, and that soon I will lift it to welcome … Continue reading
An extended family I befriended in my neighborhood includes a 5-year-old girl just learning to ride her bicycle. I have become acquainted with her parents, grandparents and uncle, but have had no success striking up a conversation with her – until yesterday. Yesterday came the horrific news that 100,000 to 200,000 Americans could die of … Continue reading
Okay, okay, before you start judging me, let me explain. We are husband and wife, sure, but we live in entirely different worlds. It’s riskier for me. I’m in self-isolation, 71, a cancer survivor with radiation and hormone therapy in my treatment history. Immune system? Compromised, naturally. So, I spend my days searching the web … Continue reading
You know who you are and you need to do the right thing. Some parents reported shortages in baby formula on store shelves, and they got a little frantic. Manufacturers say there’s a plentiful supply now, but here’s the problem: You. Please, stop hoarding! In fact, you could step up to the plate and return … Continue reading
My life would be hollow without my wife and family beside me or my faith to lean on. But what else is so instrumental to me that it would be extremely difficult to go without? I learned the answer during my 10-day hospital stay in 1998. I was suffering from a serious bacterial infection. I … Continue reading
No one wants to hear the dreaded word cancer, yet everyone should want a group of supporters to help them go through the ordeal. Friends, if you know someone with cancer, please don’t let their principal caregiver carry the burden alone. Caregivers often feel alone, isolated, neglected. You may have the makings for a special … Continue reading
By Ron Cooper Easter Day. A middle-aged man carries an armful of wrapped sweets to the checkout counter at a drugstore. Two of them slip from his grasp and tumble to the floor. I stop to retrieve them and casually remark: “Wow, I guess your kids are going to be happy receiving these today!” … Continue reading
Ron Cooper 