There’s only one good answer to the question of when to downsize – before you have to. As we age, the psychological benefits of choice increase and the opportunities to choose decrease. Things happen to us that are beyond our control…

Shirley Valentine is the story of a middle-aged woman who talks to herself, or the wall, as she considers her life. When I watched it, I had to pause and repeat a section to capture this intriguing quote: The sky is always there as long as the wind is fair…

We do our imperfect best. From the moment we push them naked and helpless from our bodies, they’re ours to nurture, protect, and love. They come without instructions and each one is so uniquely different that a single guidebook…

Every man is allowed a midlife crisis. It’s expected and tolerated. There is even a wink-wink, nudge-nudge quality about the red Mustang convertible and hair transplant that many men gravitate towards. Is there such a thing as a female midlife crisis?

It seems many women feel stuck and hopeless after 60. Some of the responses to my article “3 Essential Elements to Getting What You Want” are the living proof. I vividly remember that place, those lost years. I remember thinking…

My sister and I exchange emails at least once a week. Sometimes I’m shocked when I read her impressions of something I’ve said. It’s eye-opening and gives me a different lens through which to see myself. Brought up in a small town in northern…

In the heyday of my interior design career, I noticed that many mature women surrounded themselves with pink. Consultations took me into the homes of women in their 60’s and 70’s who lived alone. I could have wagered a bet, sight unseen…

You’ve heard it said that youth is wasted on the young. It’s true! But some of us had no childhood to waste. We were subject to forces beyond our control and became old before our time. Because of my mother’s sudden critical…

When we reach our 60s, several things happen. Physically, our bodies start to betray us. Mentally, we begin to assess all that we have or haven’t done. Emotionally, depending upon our situation, we may feel vulnerable. Spiritually…

Other than time or money, what do I need more of? The question sat like a tired dog on the page. “I have everything I need and want,” was my self-satisfied answer.

But a nagging little rain cloud tugged at my conscience. I always know when I’m not quite telling the truth, but this time the uneasy feeling of deceit nested a bit beyond reach. Read More