Ira died last night. He was the husband of Laurie Sheridan, who was featured in Episode One of The Shape of Care. Ira had been living with Parkinson’s Disease for sixteen years and was on the brink of death several times. Last Christmas, Laurie thought it was all over. Ira spent a week in the…

One of my friends is still good friends with her ex-husband. I’ll call him Walter. Over the years, I grew to admire how they handled their divorce with their two children. Their priority was the kids, and despite the rancor in their marriage, they were excellent co-parents. The “kids” are now in their early forties,…

My father grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household.  He was one of nine children, enough kids to create a baseball team! My grandparents adhered to many of the traditional rituals. Grandma kept a kosher home. And before high holiday meals, I observed her wash my grandfather’s hands ceremoniously. Grandpa was considered a Talmudic scholar,…