Jo’s Blog

“The house is so quiet,” Sarita said sadly, as I returned from the airport where I had gone to see Nutan off. We had looked forward to her visit for months and now – in a flash – it was over. How to describe the [...]

People in wheelchairs are acutely conscious of their elbows. Those who push them from one room to another should be too. Sadly, they aren’t. So bruises, bumps and scrapes are pretty standard stuff. “Watch the elbows,” I say [...]

Last night, a dear friend told me about her mother-in-law’s desperate sadness at her increasing frailties. 87, mind sharp and focused, her body nonetheless betrays her. She cannot sleep at night as she fears losing control of her bladder; [...]

95 year old women form their own special strata in the Annals of the Indomitable. Not many of us make it to this level. Those who do command respect and warrant further study: How do they do it? What is their secret? I’ve got one in my [...]

Here’s what we believe: if you plan for the most vulnerable, the world works better for everyone. Organize a busy street so a deaf child with a physical disability can cross it safely and suddenly you’ve got a street safe enough for [...]

When I was expecting my children, I saw pregnant women everywhere. It felt like an epidemic – where had they all been hiding till now? Later, while breastfeeding, I would spot other women in parks and malls and church services. Discreet or [...]