Old Boats and Things:
The Stuff Memories Are Made Of
We decided recently to clean out the junk from under the deck. In reality, we were removing an old rotted woodpile and a bunch of underbrush from an overgrown patch of yard next to the house. The deck is toward the back of the house, behind the woodpile. Once we dug up the composted logs—now barely recognizable—and cleared away some weeds, we noticed that, well, we had never put any wood latticework across the front side of the deck, the side that faces the street. We hadn't noticed it because myriad bushes and wildly growing saplings blocked our view. But no longer: Without the woodpile and underbrush, the under-deck area and all of its contents were clearly exposed. And then we spied the boat . . .

The Second Career:
Florence at Fifty-Eight?
Think nurse: Florence Nightingale (the “mother” of modern nurses, the most famous of all), Clara Barton (founded the Red Cross), Dorothea Dix (championed humane treatment of the mentally ill), Walt Whitman (wait—wasn’t he a famous American poet? yes, but also a volunteer Army nurse during the Civil War). So, how do I, a 58-year-old empty nester, fit into this illustrious lineup? I may never truly do that, but I have completed the first part of the journey toward becoming a caretaker of body, soul, and spirit; a ministering angel—in short, a nurse . . .

Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life:
Exercising Your Memoir-Writing Muscles
When I read a memoir, each author takes me on a journey through his or her major life transitions. As a spectator, I learn how the author managed to grow and adapt. In addition to learning about the author’s life, I also look for the best way to make sense of my unfolding life. Reading other people’s memoirs and writing my own has turned out to be an extremely valuable tool in the second half of my own journey. For example, David W. Berner’s Accidental Lessons: A Memoir of a Rookie Teacher and a Life Renewed provides an excellent example of a person who is looking for healthy transitions in mid-life. It also offers excellent lessons about memoir writing . . .

Real People Empty Nesting:
Kevin Ryan: President and CEO of Covenant House International
No one cares more about other people’s kids than Kevin Ryan does, especially kids who are out on the street and alone. And, as president and CEO of Covenant House International, a nonprofit that aids homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth in 31 locations throughout North America, he gets the chance to do something for these kids in a big way. Kevin has put his law degree from Georgetown University to good use, serving and protecting kids in some of the poorest areas of the United States . . .

Departments . . .