I’m so very grateful to the YMCA for inviting me to speak yesterday to a group of young inner-city women who are entering the work force. I spoke on empowerment, self-esteem, and overcoming obstacles. Some were grateful, some were skeptical, but I applaud them all for being there and trying to improve their lives.

Teaching this class was such a beautiful experience. So many of the seniors had been thinking of writing their memoirs for years, but they didn’t think their lives “were all that interesting”. It was such an honor to empower them to tell their beautiful stories and see the excitement in their faces every week.

One of the students in my memoir writing class at the Cleveland Heights Senior Center has asked me to teach memoir writing to the kids at her church. So I will be teaching 10-14 year olds how to record their family history. How fun!

Many thanks to Patch, the online newspaper, for asking me to write a semi-monthly column focusing on senior adults. The column is called “Aging Well” and will run at noon on the first and third Mondays of every month. Here is the link to the first edition! I am very grateful to Patch for offering this venue as a way to get helpful information out to seniors and their families.

Thank you very much to the MWBN Confidence Club for inviting me to speak on empowerment to a group of young women entering the workforce. The women grew up in a tough environment, and the club is helping give them the tools they need to create their own bright future. I hope to help them develop tools for self-esteem and overcoming obstacles. It is such an honor to be asked to help shape their lives in this way!