Ellen, Age 70
I just hosted a gathering of ten 70 year-old women at my home. It was lovely. Three themes came up I hadn’t heard before. The first was concern about money from divorced and widowed women, all of whom were well-educated professionals. The second was a worry shared by many of us of not knowing where we will wind up living. Which city, state, what home, move closer to kids or not, stay put with no family nearby, etc. We agreed we did not worry about this in prior decades. The third added a new layer to the club sandwich. We’ve talked before on this blog about caretaking parents and children and spouses. Some in the group tonight served as caretakers for siblings, as well. Lest you think the tone of the gathering was glum, I assure you it was inspiring and fun. Many of the group wished we could meet again. Enjoying this age we’re at like no other was a prevailing view. One woman said if anything goes awry, her mantra is to say to herself “Next!” and move on. Everyone agreed keeping busy was easy but also important. Some were working full-time, others fully retired. Everyone agreed it was a lot easier now to be true to yourself, that gratitude is important, and that life is good.