The older I get the more I see how right Bette Davis was when she said that. Living in a community of elder and aged individuals, like me, we are constantly faced with the conditions that normal aging creates for ourselves and all the friends we make in Lakeside.

How do we prepare ourselves for the changes we can expect and those we can’t? Can we change our minds from fear and denial to acceptance, preparation, and even celebration? What are the skills we can master to adapt to the changes? How do we develop the capacity to be present for those we love as they experience aging and changing and dying before us?

Loretta Downs is a gerontologist who has been working with aging and dying for over 35 years. She is an inspiring and uplifting speaker who is passionate about improving the end-of-life experience. She has published numerous articles, been quoted in articles and books, and interviewed for radio shows and podcasts. Loretta gives advance care planning workshops at LCS, speaks where invited, and offers her services as a death doula. This is her 11th Open Circle presentation.