Barbara Waxman

Chip’s Editorial Comment: Barb Waxman is one of the most delightful and wise people I know. We’re very fortunate that she’s been teaching at MEA since the first year we opened and she’s helped popularize the concept of “middlescence,” the adult corollary to adolescence.

Two weeks before my father died, he called my mother over to him and asked her to bring a pen and paper. She later described his state at that time as being somewhere between this world and the next.

If you are familiar with my writing and work, you know how much I love to garden. It's not simply the act of gardening but the garden as a teacher. A garden is potted poetry. It's not beautiful because each section is beautiful, but because each part is beautiful in relation to the other.

I've been Cocooning as of late, still working and experiencing two of my adult childrens' weddings (all in the last 12 weeks) but setting tighter boundaries so I could fully feel the joy without distraction. I still feel the chaos and change in and around me but have placed myself in a protective virtual shell by reducing my digital connections, getting enough rest, and keeping my head clear.

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? For me, it’s usually a snappy tune with singable lyrics —a song that holds meaning in some way. But it gets stuck on repeat, and the more I try to shut it down, the more stubbornly it plays over and over, forcing me to listen.

Life is b-u-s-y. And that doesn’t change just because we become Middlescents—that stage of life when we question who we want to be when we are grown-ups—even though we are supposed to be all grown up!