What is this, and why?

It’s a good question. Today, ageing seems to be having a moment. Older women and men are on the catwalk and in the ads, and conversations about ageism are popping up all over my news feed. Sites like Senior Planet, Next Avenue,  Ageist and others are holding conversations about life after 50, and it’s different from what my parents and grandparents could expect.

I hope it’s more than a moment. I hope it’s a movement. I hope it’s a re-imagining of what ageing in America, and the rest of the world, can be like. I hope it’s a signal that those of us who are moving into our “senior years” can continue to be seen as vital, as having a contribution to make, if we want to.

That’s the big picture. For me personally, it’s about exploring this time in my life, within the framework of today’s conversation around ageing. I’m 55 years old, and I don’t feel it. I don’t feel like I have more behind me than is yet to come, but statistics tell me that this is the case. My children are pretty much grown up and no longer in need of the day-to-day mothering that used to be so much a part of life. My oldest is 24 and living with his girlfriend, my youngest is 21 and finishing college in the spring. They still need some guidance, and occasional mothering, and I’m truly thankful that they still want it once in awhile. I love being their mother and look forward to sharing experiences with them for many years to come. But it is finally the time when I can think more about how I want to live, now and in the future.

This blog will be my exploration, and I hope, a place to have a conversation about how to grow older, better.