Why this helps: Anticipation is a form of joy! Creating a visual list of simple, achievable summer pleasures gives your loved one something to look forward to. The list can include tiny things (eat a popsicle, sit in the shade) and slightly bigger ones (visit a relative, water the [...]
A tribute to my mother and grandmother The following vignette was written in 2024 when Goshen College invited alumni to contribute memories for an Oral History Project. I never submitted it, nor have I previously published it. But now, in May of 2026, I find myself returning to these memories [...]
Editor's Note: Zulekha Ali, a regular contributor to ABeautifulVoice.org, writes about Sanjay Gupta's wisdom in a voice which reflects the ranchers' perspective. We three (my parents and I) engaged in all kinds of journaling - in addition to my own reflective writing at the end of the day. Dr. [...]
Why this helps: Blowing bubbles is playful, low-energy, and deeply engaging. Watching bubbles float and pop encourages visual tracking and can bring spontaneous smiles and laughter. The deep breathing required to blow bubbles is also a natural relaxation technique, good for both of you. How to do it: Buy a [...]
A quiet but extraordinary moment in the neuroscience of healing For years, journaling has often been dismissed as “just" expressive writing. But something remarkable happened recently at the end of an interview between Sanjay Gupta and Mel Robbins about chronic pain. When asked: “If the person listening were to do [...]
Novelty journaling is not about recording life as it happens. It is about shaping life by paying attention differently. Part I of The Novelty Explainer introduced the structure and philosophy behind 365 Ways to Say I Care and why it was created. Part II turns inward—exploring how novelty journaling changes [...]
Why this helps: A hands‑on craft that welcomes the season creates a visual celebration you can both admire. For someone living with dementia, working with simple materials—faux flowers, ribbons, a foam or grapevine base—engages fine motor skills and provides a sense of accomplishment. Art activities like painting, drawing, and [...]
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 [...]
What happens when people stop showing up? A question posed recently by caregiver and culture change leader Neal Shah stopped me in my tracks: “What happens to your brain when the people you've always had around you stop showing up? We're engineering loneliness into the end of life and then [...]
In American Dementia – Brain Health in an Unhealthy Society, published in 2021, Daniel George and Peter Whitehouse invite us to look beyond the biology of Alzheimer’s and ask a harder question: What if dementia is not only a medical condition, but also a cultural mirror? What if the stress, [...]