A poem addressed to my father by my mother. First published in our blog in May 2020. Republishing this tribute on the anniversary of his birth date.
A treasure found in the cedar chest
#13 in a series of “365 Ways to Say I Care.” Reading aloud to each other is a shared escape into another world. It’s also soothing and calming.
Way #13: Read short stories aloud
A space for transforming thoughts and inspiration to change the culture of care: … from old narratives to new narratives and from impossible to possible.
"Dementia amplifies who the person has been."
You are invited to review a recent post about caregiving through the lens of moral imagination – where compassion and courage meet human vulnerability.
Inspired by the work of John Paul Lederach
A directory listing of authors whose cultures replace our traditional “caregiving” with “care partnerships” while navigating milestones and embracing growth.
A Beautiful Voice Production
Listen up! Kate states, “Sadly, we seem to be decades away from any real change. … Yes, I suffer, from dementia some days, but that’s not all I suffer from!”
Someone you should know: Kate Swaffer
Welcome
This e-magazine features research findings, media stories and articles about the main themes which enriched our days together following Mother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Learn more
Rite de passage
Miss Ethel
As a young school teacher, she was known as “Miss Ethel.” But as her daughter, it was not until being with her in her final years that I learned from a former student how she had preferred to be addressed. Learn more
A Beautiful Voice
Memory Journals
Without journaling, the memory – at this point – would surely be quite “flat” and foggy, and there would certainly have been no thought of an e-magazine. Learn more
Intimate Excerpts…
Riane Eisler, JD
Riane Eisler, JD, is a social scientist, attorney, and author. The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future is considered a classic. Her newest book, Nurturing Our Humanity: How Domination and Partnership Shape Our Brains, Lives, and Future, is coauthored with anthropologist, Douglas P. Fry, PhD. Learn more
A Caring Economics
You're invited to read our story.
Find our story here: Big Pharma and the Constant Gardener
New Day!
Let’s be in touch – Newsletter
A Warm Respite – You are invited for coffee and a moment of rest – with thoughtful, soulful updates shared along the way. Let’s stay in touch.
Soulful NewsThink on these things
Creativity is how we ensure that diagnosis is a starting point for joy, connection, growth, and new possibilities. In other words, creativity is the new narrative.
Our Soul PurposeWelcome, partnerism!
“Partnerism,” a word coined by Riane Eisler, JD, is a model for creating a more equitable, sustainable, and less violent world based on partnership rather than domination.
A new vocabulary for caringPollution and Alzheimer's
Air pollution with fine particles may harm the brain by increasing inflammation and promoting oxidative stress, which causes brain cells to malfunction.
An urgency to act
Video Series
Tuning in to Well-Being
Video Series
Tuning in to Well-Being
Real Life Pleasures
BREAKING NEWS
BREAKING NEWS
Research findings, media stories, and articles to promote creativity, discovery, and partnership in dementia care.
A Sense of Place
God’s Gardener
I found this poem among Mother’s papers following her death. Typed with her best Smith-Corona - on paper which is now yellowed, she had used her red ink pen from the classroom for her greeting and signature. The words entered in her handwriting were, “To My Loving Farmer Husband” and signed “Your Farmer’s Wife.” The description of this landscape where I grew up – and the description of my father [...]
Too important to not share!
Foods that prevent disease according to a 30-year Harvard study
Harvard researchers followed 105,000 people for 30 years and only 9% reached age 70 free of chronic disease, cognitive decline, and depression. Their secret wasn't genetics or supplements. It was consistently eating real food: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and unsaturated fats with almost no ultra-processed food or sugary drinks. If you're caring for aging parents or thinking about your own health, this 2025 Nature Medicine study is [...]
Transforming thoughts
See me – hear me
We hold this space for “transforming thoughts.” All are included here because the message is appropriate for the care of someone living with dementia. The messages speak to the monumental need for societal change in our approach to caring. From old narratives To new narratives. From impossible To what is possible. From a societal response that “they don’t remember anyway,” To an important understanding that they may well [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #13: Read a Short Summer Story Aloud
Why this helps: Reading aloud is different from poetry (Way #2). A short story—just a few pages—offers a narrative arc, characters, and a gentle plot. This can be more engaging for some people while still being low-pressure. Summer-themed stories about beaches, gardens, or family gatherings can spark seasonal memories. [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #11: The Birthday Song Calendar Tradition
"A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it with me when my memory fails." (Author unknown) Why this helps: For someone living with dementia, family connections can feel distant and abstract. A regular ritual of acknowledging birthdays—through song, a phone call, or simply speaking their name—anchors your loved one to their identity as a beloved family member. It pierces through confusion with the simple, [...]
The silence of the system
Journalist Kelli Maria Korducki discusses “The Daughterhood Penalty” in America’s Caregiving Crisis
America's older adult population is set to experience massive growth in the coming years. Journalist and author Kelli María Korducki is exploring the imbalance and disproportionate financial, emotional, and professional burdens falling on women who care for their aging parents. Korducki joins Michel Martin to discuss the failures of America's elder care system. 5/22/2026 | 15:59 | CC https://youtu.be/N4IAr9UGiVk?si=9BC7txjpXvOFM8Zg Where attention goes, care begins. 365 Ways to Say I [...]
Transforming Thoughts
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
Meet Our Dementia Influencers
That Significant Moment
That significant moment – that moment which quietly resonated with the lifestyle choices made during our interlude at the ranch. That moment which reaffirmed a desire to be together – and continue on. That moment of encounter with a simple idea – in an article, a book, a recording, a teleconference, a phone conversation. That moment which was consciousness-altering. That moment which, quite simply, rocked!
This page is dedicated to those professionals whose body of work resonated with our experience at the ranch. Each is listed successively in the order in which their work came into my awareness during the course of our being together.
Based on the contribution to culture change of these professionals, it is my hope that the lifework of each one may inspire others when most needed. We are all indebted to them for their leadership in transforming the culture of dementia care.
Challenging Notions – Our State of Belief
A Synopsis of Real Life Pleasures
Sense
of Place
Food
for Life
Mindful
Presence
Literary
Companionship
Music
as Medicine
Creating
Community
