Kathy L. Murphy

@Tish_H_Warren I appreciate your conversation with Kaitlyn Schiess on @HolyPost_Media podcast about your new book. As a writer-speaker on topics of faithful aging, your message resonated with me as it will with other older adults even though aging is not your focus.

It’s a great day to remember we need each other! Happy Monday!

I took my granddaughter out for lunch. She told me about her two-week summer camp experiences, then we baked chocolate chip cookies, and watched the first three episodes of #Elle. #summertimevibes

This photo is from our family vacation in July 1960. Every morning we three kids “helped” my Dad secure the luggage on top of the station wagon so we could have more room inside to stretch out! LOL. Whatever your plans for this Fourth of July weekend, stay safe. You have memories yet to be made! Happy Independence Day Weekend!

Two ideas to share: One way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday is to reflect on our nation’s beginnings. The five-part “American Experience” from Netflix is a great way to do that. Historians and scholars lead the way plus there’s a wide range of political figures, from Ted Cruz to Hillary Clinton. If you are in need of a “palate cleanser” that leaves you hopeful, revisit the 1986 animated musical film, “American Tail” with executive producer Steven Spielberg. You will soon be singing “There are no cats in America…” #Hope

Live out your purpose for late life!

Watching Episode 1 of Netflix’ American Experiment series before church this morning in preparation for America’s 250th birthday. One way to show patriotism is to keep learning!

To be clear, it is NOT a role reversal. It is a role shift. Adult children often take on more responsibilities for their parents' care as their parents' needs change. But we must be careful not to think of aging parents as "children." Doing so robs them of dignity and respect at a time they need it most. Why are the older and younger generations so hesitant to talk about aging and how it impacts families?

Those are great ideas to help younger and older generations get the conversation ball rolling. Since my focus is on faithful aging, I don’t have a specific Best Practices list… but I hope others will chime in with their suggestions. My book Voices of Aging focuses on helping each generation to crawl inside the mind of the other as a way to better communicate a they navigate the journey.

Was honored to write an endorsement for Sharon Seyfarth Garner’s new book, Praying with Jonah.

Life "is about learning to pour energy and love into building relationships and creating memories without lamenting the reality that one day this earthly life will be gone." -- from BEACH CALLING: A DEVOTIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE MIDDLE YEARS AND BEYOND bookstore.upperroom.org/Prod…

This morning my 15 yr-old grandson went with me to the early service at church. Afterwards he told me he prefers the early service even though many of the kids and youth attend the second service. I asked him why. “I just like the traditional service…and the people.”