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 purpose
Exploring caregiving through the lens of moral imagination – where compassion, creativity, and courage meet in the face of human vulnerability.
Inspired by the work of John Paul Lederach
As a tribute to my uncle on his 96th birthday, his caregiving story is published as the first in a series of caregiver memoirs.
Memoir: Remembering, Reflecting, and Writing
A series of posts to inspire new narratives involving “mindful presence” with the loved one. Click here for a description of the series.
Novelty Explainer #2 - Description of Series
A directory listing of authors whose cultures replace our traditional “caregiving” with “care partnerships” while navigating milestones and embracing growth.
A Beautiful Voice Production
The Dementia Justice Report – It’s not about moving on … It’s about moving forward by shedding light on dementia care realities.
Advancing human rights of older people
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 respite – with mindful and soulful news direct to your inbox. Let’s be in touch. Join us!
Subscribe hereInfluencers making the news
Who are our influencers and Changemakers? Those professionals whose body of work resonated with our experience at the ranch are included here. Each is listed successively in the order in which their work came into our awareness during the course of being together at the ranch.
Learn moreWelcome, 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 caringSee me – hear me
The messages in our meme series, “See me – hear me,” speak to the monumental need for societal change in our approach to caring for people with dementia.
Transforming thoughts
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.
365 Ways to Say I Care
WAY #9: Decorate a Small Easter Tree or Spring Branch
Why this helps: A collaborative craft that welcomes the season creates a lasting visual anchor. For someone with dementia, decorating a branch with simple, lightweight ornaments taps into lifelong memories of holiday preparation and gives a sense of accomplishment that can be admired for weeks. The act of creating together—choosing colors, placing ornaments—provides gentle sensory and cognitive engagement. How to do it: Find a bare branch (or a small potted [...]
A healthier world starts here
Food as medicine
Announcing the world premiere of the 2026 Food Revolution Summit Docuseries: The Science of Food and Wellness! It’s the world’s largest gathering of healthy eaters, and you’re invited to join! Imagine if the world were the kind of place where doctors prescribed vegetables… A world where getting a breakdown of exactly which foods to eat (and avoid) is simple and clear… I believe this world is possible, and so do my friends [...]
From the famly archives
Remembering a Loved One: A Personal Reflection and Memoir
Today, on his 96th birthday, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on the life of my Uncle Maurice Yordy—known to many of us as Uncle Max. A gentleman, farmer, and gardener… a retired science teacher and pastor… a historian, activist, and antiques enthusiast. He is a family storyteller and entertainer, a good neighbor, and the sixth child—and only son—of Ezra and Carrie, the youngest sibling to Ethel, Dorothy, Alta, [...]
A Beautiful Voice Production
An International Writers Center Takes it to the Streets: Reimagining Dementia Through Global Stories
ABeautifulVoice.org is delighted to contribute to the global campaign, Reimagining Dementia: Taking It [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #4: Share a poetry moment
Poetry engages the imagination and emotional heart, offering connection beyond facts or memory. Sharing a poem creates a novel, shared experience that focuses on the beauty of sound, rhythm, and feeling in the present moment. How to do it: Choose a short, uplifting poem. Nature or love poems work beautifully. Read it aloud slowly, with warmth in your voice. Sit together in the quiet that follows. Let the words linger. [...]
Dementia is not a tragedy
Emotional? Yes. Tragedy? No. My mom, Tom Kitwood, and me
Art by Almeta Fridley. What a joy to watch her work! Author: Mary Fridley Faculty, East Side Institute . . . Founder, The Joy of Dementia (You Gotta Be Kidding!) . . . Coordinator, Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Social Justice February 3, 2026 Republished with permission by Mary Fridley, author It wasn’t supposed to be like this / Said simply / No lament of pity / Though many [...]
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
