Author: bholmesjr

  • “Bill, write about the life transition of loss”

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    bholmesjr
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    What can I say about loss that has not been said by others in a thousand books? Healing from loss? Is that even possible? Doesn’t healing from loss just mean, in some way, to start over? How do we replace the pieces of our heart that is a void left by the missing part? Every…

  • Navigating Risk in Life Transitions

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    bholmesjr
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    Risk is inherent in almost every life transition. Our fears and self-doubt contribute to the chaos that is roiling within us as we enter a new branch of our life pathway. I experienced the specters of doubt as I entered college. Was I smart enough? Disciplined enough? Persistent enough? When I entered pilot training, was…

  • Human Connection Pathways- The Black and White

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    bholmesjr
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    This may be the most difficult time in history to connect with other humans. The level of divisiveness within America is at a peak. Of course, we can point to social media as a major contributor to human disconnection. Opposing political, spiritual and societal viewpoints contribute significantly to our disconnection. The 24/7 news cycle, in…

  • When Does Old Age Begin?

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    bholmesjr
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    Joel Pinsker addresses the words used to describe “old age” in the Atlantic Magazine in his article “When Does Someone Become Old?”. The article reviews the many words that define those who are “aging”, such as elder, elderly, senior, retired, old, older, geriatric, and mature. In considering the topic of aging, I have always tended…

  • Assistance for Living with a Disability

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    bholmesjr
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    Incurring a disability creates a wide range of adjustments that must be resolved in order to maintain physical, mental, and emotional equilibrium. There are resources that will provide support for most of life’s necessities. Living with a disability is an ongoing learning experience. Exploring the services that are available will be a very important aspect…

  • Learning to Live with a Disability

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    bholmesjr
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    When a disability occurs, we have to borrow a phrase from our friends, the U.S. Marines: “Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.”  In addition, we must add the word “Accept” to the beginning of their saying. We must accept, improvise, adapt, and overcome. The first action that we must take, acceptance, is a mental process that we…

  • How to Thrive and Be Wheelchair/Home Bound

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    bholmesjr
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    When both of my knees stopped supporting me and I fell, I knew instantly that my life had changed. I am a large retired man in my late 70s. I had struggled with a walker for two years and, previously, a cane for more than a decade. As I aged, my knees became less reliable…

  • A Neighbor’s Tree

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    bholmesjr
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    My neighbor allowed an acorn to sprout in her front yard. At first, it barely broke through the soil. She placed a wire plant cage around it so that her lawn team would not mow over it. I don’t remember exactly when, in the spring of this year, the little tree sprouted, but as it…

  • Bringing the World into Your Living Room-Life Transitions

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    bholmesjr
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    Many of us who are in the retired ranks spend much or most of our time in our homes. While our lives revolve around our calendars, doctors appointments, visits by repair people, friends and family visits and, of course, watching our TV series, we find that we are missing the stimulation from the “ourside world”.…

  • 10/19/2025- Waking Today

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    bholmesjr
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    Sun streaming through the window filling the bedroom with light. Eyes open staring at the ceiling. Another day in the litany of retirement. Time to choose. Another day of status quo or a transition day. Transition to what? Chaotic country, chaotic world, chaotic thoughts that must be sorted. What can I do that transits instead…