It occurred to me that I'm at a new stage of life. It's funny how new stages of life sometimes reveal themselves to you all at once--there's that moment when you realize that life has changed and you need to catch up with that change.
This new stage of life, like every stage in life, has its advantages and disadvantages, and as my mom always preached, "Enjoy the stage of life you're in as you'll never be there again." She's right--every stage of life has unique joys and challenges.
So what does this stage of life have to offer and what are its challenges?
Ageism
I think one challenge of being an older women is that there is a good degree of prejudice that comes with the role--America isn't a culture that openly embraces old age, especially the old age of women. There is a lot of ageism in United States' culture and as you grow older, you experience that. I want to counter that prejudice, by not giving into it and working against it. I want to look for the silver lining of growing older and maximize those advantages with regard to living a good life.
Time
One of the greatest opportunities of getting older is time. After many, many years of working around the clock, I finally have a bit of time and I love having time to use as I want to.
Less Expenses
Though health care and college costs are astronomical, other expenses are a bit less, hence with regard to most expenses there's less pressure. We eat less, our children are mostly on their own, our clothes last longer, and we need a lot less. So while there isn't lots of extra money, there's less financial pressure. I remember the hard choices we had to make when our children were young and there were so many opportunities for them, but there were financial limitations too. That was often stressful.
Travel
With less day-to-day responsibilities, there is more time to explore and travel. This is a lot of fun.
Giving what you can; when you can
More time and less expenses means that you have the opportunity to give more often. It's great to give and this is a strength to this stage of life.
Self-care
There's actually time to care for yourself unlike those extremely busy days of working full time and raising young children. The challenge is to embrace this opportunity in positive ways.
Entertainment
There's time for good books, movies, games, creativity, and getting together with friends--this is positive too.
Family
There's opportunity to provide a welcoming home for family members and times for family members to get together and care for one another.
Every new stage brings new challenge and new opportunity. To acknowledge that and make the most of the stage you're in is the opportunity that awaits, and this opportunity includes creating new traditions.
Family Meals
While not new, the opportunity to gather with family members to share a good meal is a time-tested tradition that becomes even more valuable as you get older. It's a time to share stories, good food, and camaraderie. These family meals are a good tradition to continue.
Shared Entertainment
Taking advantage of public venues is affordable and fun for family members. Looking for local concerts, museums, and exhibits provides family members entertainment that suits people of all ages.
Games and Contests
Many families enjoy a shared race, hike, board game, cards, and more. Traditional and new events like these bring people together with their shared interests and positive challenge.
Celebrate the Good Times
Celebrating the good times bring people together in positive ways. To celebrate important milestones, brings people closer together in meaningful ways.
Keep it Simple
The simpler your lifestyle is, the easier it is to include others in ways that matter.
Do What Matters
We can waste a lot of time on events that don't matter. Instead it's good to think about the kinds of places, events, and objects that truly make a difference. Wasting time and money never results in good feelings or positive experiences, but spending time and money wisely generally results in a good life.
New stages mean that it's time to create and renew positive traditions, the kind of traditions that make life meaningful, enjoyable, and positive for yourself and others.
This new stage of life, like every stage in life, has its advantages and disadvantages, and as my mom always preached, "Enjoy the stage of life you're in as you'll never be there again." She's right--every stage of life has unique joys and challenges.
So what does this stage of life have to offer and what are its challenges?
Ageism
I think one challenge of being an older women is that there is a good degree of prejudice that comes with the role--America isn't a culture that openly embraces old age, especially the old age of women. There is a lot of ageism in United States' culture and as you grow older, you experience that. I want to counter that prejudice, by not giving into it and working against it. I want to look for the silver lining of growing older and maximize those advantages with regard to living a good life.
Time
One of the greatest opportunities of getting older is time. After many, many years of working around the clock, I finally have a bit of time and I love having time to use as I want to.
Less Expenses
Though health care and college costs are astronomical, other expenses are a bit less, hence with regard to most expenses there's less pressure. We eat less, our children are mostly on their own, our clothes last longer, and we need a lot less. So while there isn't lots of extra money, there's less financial pressure. I remember the hard choices we had to make when our children were young and there were so many opportunities for them, but there were financial limitations too. That was often stressful.
Travel
With less day-to-day responsibilities, there is more time to explore and travel. This is a lot of fun.
Giving what you can; when you can
More time and less expenses means that you have the opportunity to give more often. It's great to give and this is a strength to this stage of life.
Self-care
There's actually time to care for yourself unlike those extremely busy days of working full time and raising young children. The challenge is to embrace this opportunity in positive ways.
Entertainment
There's time for good books, movies, games, creativity, and getting together with friends--this is positive too.
Family
There's opportunity to provide a welcoming home for family members and times for family members to get together and care for one another.
Every new stage brings new challenge and new opportunity. To acknowledge that and make the most of the stage you're in is the opportunity that awaits, and this opportunity includes creating new traditions.
Family Meals
While not new, the opportunity to gather with family members to share a good meal is a time-tested tradition that becomes even more valuable as you get older. It's a time to share stories, good food, and camaraderie. These family meals are a good tradition to continue.
Shared Entertainment
Taking advantage of public venues is affordable and fun for family members. Looking for local concerts, museums, and exhibits provides family members entertainment that suits people of all ages.
Games and Contests
Many families enjoy a shared race, hike, board game, cards, and more. Traditional and new events like these bring people together with their shared interests and positive challenge.
Celebrate the Good Times
Celebrating the good times bring people together in positive ways. To celebrate important milestones, brings people closer together in meaningful ways.
Keep it Simple
The simpler your lifestyle is, the easier it is to include others in ways that matter.
Do What Matters
We can waste a lot of time on events that don't matter. Instead it's good to think about the kinds of places, events, and objects that truly make a difference. Wasting time and money never results in good feelings or positive experiences, but spending time and money wisely generally results in a good life.
New stages mean that it's time to create and renew positive traditions, the kind of traditions that make life meaningful, enjoyable, and positive for yourself and others.