Patrick Downes

Oct 28, 2024 | experiencelife.lifetime.life | Jon Spayde |Patrick Downes |Alyssa Ford |John Spayde

Our parents spent years helping us develop from helpless little bundles of need into independent adults — a favor many adult children want to return. We get that chance as our parents reach an age when they need help negotiating life’s challenges. Yet aiding Mom and Dad when their bodies weaken and, in some cases, when their minds decline is one of the most stressful things we face as adults. We have to rethink and renegotiate our relationship with those who raised us.

Oct 9, 2024 | experiencelife.lifetime.life | Nicole Radziszewski |Patrick Downes |Joseph Hart |Kelle Walsh

One of my most poignant final memories of my grandma before she passed away was sitting in her living room with her and other family members and taking turns tossing a ball into a wastebasket. Surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, her eyes lit up as she sank her armchair shot from 10 feet away. At 97 years old, the once-talented tennis player was able to give her youngest family members a glimpse of her youth and athleticism.

Sep 10, 2024 | experiencelife.lifetime.life | Craig Cox |Jon Spayde |Patrick Downes |Joe Friel

New research on the aging process has me recalling an oft-quoted conversation in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, in which a couple of guys discuss financial disaster:“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked. “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.”We tend to think of growing old in a similar way.

Aug 3, 2024 | getthechance.wales | Patrick Downes

If you’re not aware of BOM. It’s a musical comedy with music, lyrics, and book by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone (South Park & Frozen). It follows two Latter-day Saints missionaries as they attempt to preach the faith of the Church to the inhabitants of a remote Ugandan village. Simple premise for a musical, I guess.

Aug 3, 2024 | getthechance.wales | Patrick Downes

Hairspray at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff was an absolute whirlwind of fun, energy, and infectious joy. This production captured the essence of the 60s with a vibrant, colourful, and over-the-top spectacle that left the audience cheering and dancing in their seats. From the moment the curtain rises, you’re transported to Baltimore, where the rhythm of the music and the infectious enthusiasm of the cast immediately grab your attention.