MARINA OPPENHEIMER BOOKS AND BLOG

Estoy acá, en mi casa, a solas. Acaba de terminar la Navidad y yo siento que lo que me rodea sabe a Nochebuena, a caminos de arena, a ese aire limpio de la madrugada cuando las aves con su aleteo nos llaman. Y es porque en este a ñ o de mi vida junto las manos para poder recoger lo que he sembrado durante mi estadía en este mundo: un amor que perdura de un hijo que me llena de ternura, de un nieto cuyos ojos me estremecen, y su madre cuyos cuidados me enternecen. Y así le cierro la puerta a este día navide ñ o, y con la paz en mi alma me entrego a un dulce sue ño.

  According to today’s neuroscientific theories, the outer layer of our brain, or cerebral cortex, becomes thinner as we age; especially the prefrontal cortex, the cerebellum, and the hippocampus. This explains why, when we are older, mental functions such as memory start malfunctioning. It is worth mentioning that a debilitated memory is not necessarily the result of incipient dementia, but simply the memory of a weak brain. So much so that specialists recommend exercising and eating a healthy diet; but above all they recommend a regular social life for memory to improve. I started reading this article a while ago because I had realized that, when I was having a conversation, I had a hard time finding the right word for a sentence. Furthermore, I was unable to recognize some words that came to mind, although them being correct. To be honest, knowing that this was one of the ills of old age did not comfort me at all. Let me add that at that time I was going through a difficult life...

  Ante la avalancha de años que se nos vienen encima en Estados Unidos, esta tarde me detuve a pensar y tratar de descubrir cuál sería la mejor manera de enfrentarlos. Cuatro años son largos, especialmente a la edad que ya tengo, a pesar de haberla alcanzado en perfecta salud física y mental. Si, como dice Baruch Spinoza, la situación que nos enfrenta es el efecto de una causa que a su vez tiene otra causa y que esta también es el efecto de otra causa y así hasta el infinito de los años, no me queda más remedio que aceptarla. La mejor manera de definirla sería que “ es lo que es ”; y el describir lo que ocurre de esta manera me da la pauta de que no está en mis manos cambiarlo. “Yo soy yo y mi circunstancia” dice Ortega y Gasset; nuestra libertad es de hecho limitada. Hoy se trata de un evento que me preocupa y me quita la alegría que en general siento al pasear con mi perro a la mañana temprano por la orilla del mar. Yo sé que las dos guerras mundiales fueron mucho peores que lo q...

  Some time ago I read somewhere the following phrase: "No wise person ever wanted to be younger again" , a phrase that never ceased to amaze me. In my circle of people, I do nothing but hear the praises of youthful beauty, or the physical and mental energy that characterizes our young age. And yet, now that I have unwittingly reached the age they call advanced, it is not difficult for me to understand the meaning of that curious sentence. If we think carefully about what the so-called old age consists of, we see that it is a time of life almost without responsibilities, made up of days that only taste of total freedom, and with endless hours dedicated to reflecting on what our journey on this earth was like. It is true that, for many of us, for one reason or another, old age will be disturbed by a deep feeling of loneliness. However, as I mention in my book The Secret of Loneliness , this feeling is based on our nostalgia for what is no longer ours and can be dispelled. As ...

  Cae la tarde frente a mi casa, y observo como el mar ha suavizado el ir y venir de las olas. Ya no arremeten contra la orilla de color arena que las gaviotas grisáceas recorren amenas.   Con felicidad miro el infinito crep úsculo de nubes que delante de mí esparce su transparencia, cielo infinito que se mueve como si estuviera vivo y quisiera celebrar esta paz de mi alma conmigo.   Fueron tantas las rutas que hasta aquí me trajeron, tantos los desencantos, las esperanzas destruidas, las horas afligidas, que hoy, esta tarde aquí sentada y ver el inmenso cielo siento que esta es la llegada.   ¡De lo que es mi vida ahora estoy enamorada!  

  For some mysterious coincidence, books by authors with my same vision of the Universe very often fall into my lap. Such is the case of Ignace Lepp, originally from Estonia, whose above statement reflects exactly my vision of ​​ eternity. In a few words this author describes how the generalities created by different religions leave aside the most important aspect of existence: i.e. that each one of us has the freedom to shape the life that takes place, or not, when we leave this planet. Because although all of us human beings belong to the same race, we are all spiritually different. As a result, not only our path through this life will be profoundly different from one another, but also our next journey will be like no other. However, where lies the existential difference between human beings? Even though we all face similar challenges for survival, the energy with which we face these obstacles cannot be taught nor explained. Each one of us must discover its own path without help....

  One of the things I learned from my parents is to be materially and emotionally generous; thanks to that learning, I know in depth the joy that it generates. When we help others, we no longer need to search for the meaning of our lives because it is right there in front of our eyes. However, that is not what I want to talk about today, but rather about how true is the fact that everything we give comes back to us when we need it most... I am lucky to live in front of the water, but in recent times new building maintenance laws in Miami made life difficult for many residents. In my case, the engineer in charge of the building's 50-year certification determined that it was necessary to change our old windows for impact windows. This plus all the other extraordinary expenses that have been adding up forced several of the residents to sell their apartment and move to more accessible places. In my case, although I did not put the apartment up for sale, the expense of the windows ...