Growing Bolder Community

Had she lived, she would have been 100 today. Although she no longer of this earth, she is with me every day, and I still talk to her as I always did.HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!Your son, John

Happy birthday, Mom (aka Jennie – thanks to Ellis Island, aka Yolan): Nov. 17, 1912 – Jan.21, 2001

Many would say it would have been my Dad’s 102nd birthday on June 21st had he lived. To me it is his 102nd birthday for he always is with me. His presence is as strong as it was many years ago when I was living away from home. The only difference these days is that he happens to be away from his earthly home. Where and how he exists in this universe I can’t say definitively. Like...

For a birthday today where all I'll admit to turning is..."thirty-nine again"...this one was a pretty good sampler. Started off with a surprise chocolate cheesecake with candles on it for breakfast. Then fulfilled a long-time itch by checking out the Door County Sled Dogs rides in Milwaukee's Whitnall Park. Even the weather cooperated--after ghastly stretchs of sub-zero wind chills making me...

I lost my Dad 37 years ago, June 9th. He was two weeks shy of his 65th birthday, June 21st. Working in the mines will do that to you. Although he is no longer with me, he is. It is in my senior years that I realize how much he is part of me, and how much like him I am. He taught me patience. He taught me to speak softly, even when angry. He taught me that a man can cook and clean and...

Have you heard about the Growing Bolder Challenge yet? It's our year-long project designed to help you start making smarter choices and a commitment to your health and wellness. Birthdays are a great time to take this pledge. It’s not just celebrating your birthday by blowing out candles representing years gone by, it's celebrating by doing something to demonstrate your commitment to a...