Donna Vickroy – Page 16

Vince Luna was remembered at his funeral for being a fun-loving prankster who was full of energy for most of his life, before dementia changed his personality and demeanor, daughter Donna Vickroy says.

Vickroy: You’re doing it because someone desperately needs you to: My words of encouragement to caregivers

June 20, 2023 at 11:33 a.m.

Thank you, dear readers, for the condolences and feedback on my recent column about my father's death. It is a comfort to know I am not the only one grieving...

Among the things you might see if you kayak in the Lake Mead Reservoir in Nevada are bighorn sheep making their way along narrow paths carved into the mountains.

Vickroy: Getting close to nature’s a sublime experience so why is protecting it not more of a priority?

June 13, 2023 at 4:19 p.m.

Left, right, left, right. Pull, push, pull, push. When you paddle along the stretch of the Colorado River that winds through Lake Mead National Recreation Area, you watch the water...

Vickroy: After years of dealing with my ailing, angry father, funeral helps restore my memory of the vital, happy man

June 6, 2023 at 12:49 p.m.

After a very loud, chaotic bout with a disease that steadily beats an old person down, he died. Quietly. Almost silently. Consumed by defeat, exhausted by an eldercare system that...

Gabrielle Roberts, a pediatric psychologist at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, says parents who recognize their child is feeling overwhelming stress can use a variety of ways to teach them how to deal with it.

Vickroy: Parents can help their kids cope in what can be a scary world, pediatric psychologist says

May 30, 2023 at 2:17 p.m.

Parenting is one of the hardest jobs adults have right now, said Gabrielle Roberts, a pediatric psychologist at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. It's a tall order to...

There's plenty to see in the Land o' Lincoln, and not just Lincoln sites, says Melanie Holmes, of Palos Park, author of the new travel book, "100 Things To Do in Illinois Before You Die."

Vickroy: No need to seek out distant places when there’s so much to see in Illinois, author of new travel book says

May 18, 2023 at 11:36 a.m.

Wine trails, a national forest, a treehouse resort and — not one, but two — state fairs are just a few of the highlights in "100 Things To Do in...

In this screen grab from surveillance video tweeted by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Audrey Elizabeth Hale points an assault-style weapon inside The Covenant School in Nashville on March 27. Hale killed six people before being killed by police.

Vickroy: Attention would-be mass shooters: Going out in a so-called blaze of ‘glory’ not your only option

May 9, 2023 at 2:16 p.m.

Dear Troubled One, Just want you to know you have options. You don't have to go out like this. You don't have to go out at all. You don't have...

Think you know your horoscope sign? Think again. To be accurate, there are actually 13 signs, not 12, which means you may not be who you think you are -- assuming you put any stock in the Zodiac.

Vickroy: Zodiac killer — updated calendar may be scientifically accurate but it messes with your horoscope

May 2, 2023 at 5:03 p.m.

I went to bed a Pisces one night a few weeks ago and woke up an Aquarius. Yes, I realize astrology is not a science. Still, as a child of...

Wanting to help animals without homes doesn't mean having to adopt them or provide a foster home. You can donate your time or money, or you can do something as simple as put a post on your Facebook page.

Vickroy: You can’t take in every stray or relinquished animal, but you can help improve their lives

April 21, 2023 at 2:52 p.m.

The reasons humans love animals — sometimes more than other humans — are endless. Yet, our ability to help the animal world seems limited. Or is it? True, even the...

Columnist Donna Vickroy says her father was at his best when he was there daily to care for his ailing wife before she died.

Vickroy: Dementia’s cruel blow: Looking for a loved one who died years ago

April 14, 2023 at 6:22 p.m.

The buzzing broke the predawn silence. The screen lit up: "Dad Cell." It was 4 a.m. "I can't find your mother," he told me, worriedly. "I've been calling and calling....

Back in the day, bridal showers weren't fancy affairs hosted in rented venues with registries from which to choose gifts but family affairs held in basements where the food was homemade and the presents a surprise.

Vickroy: Bridal showers of yore are far different than those today, but the love behind them remains the same

April 8, 2023 at 6:51 a.m.

It's great that we're all about convenience and transparency and being green and everyone getting exactly what they want these days, but, for a few minutes, can we wax nostalgic...

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