Life After Retirement

In our many conversations with women over 60 over the past few years, one theme has quietly surfaced again and again. Many expected life to become more stable with age. Instead, some describe feeling as though the world is speeding up around them in ways they did not fully anticipate…

Last Thursday night, I found myself at a hotel bar at 10pm. I was very proud of myself for staying up so late. I know, I know – retirement means I don’t have to get up early. But the truth is, I’m an early-to-bed kind of person. I was out with my cousin, who was visiting…

Walking through Vienna, Joel noticed an elderly woman sweeping the streets. His first instinct, shaped entirely by the culture that raised him, was pity. She was old. She was still working. Surely something had gone wrong.
His father corrected him gently. Nothing had gone wrong. She was valued here. She was useful…

Whether you’re approaching retirement, recently retired, or simply starting to ask “what comes next”… this phase of life can feel more complicated than expected. Many of the women I speak with tell me: “I thought I’d feel happier than this.”

A woman once told me something I hear often, but rarely so honestly: “I want to enjoy my retirement… but every time I spend money, part of me wonders if I should be saving it for my children instead.” She wasn’t being pressured by her family…

I have a cart full of art supplies to the right of my desk. To my left, there’s a stool with more supplies precariously balanced on top of it. And, front and center on my beautiful mango wood desk: my monitor, keyboard, mouse, and laptop…

Your 70th birthday is a big one! I experienced it already, so I know. The inevitable question is, “What gift would you like?” It will come as no surprise that my first wish was to have my sons and grandchildren all together. Like so many women…

The other morning, I was sitting in a bath at 11 o’clock on a weekday, coffee already cold on the edge of the tub, and I had a very strange thought. I should be somewhere. For most of my life, I always was. Wake up early…

Over the past few years, I have heard a quiet observation repeated by many women over 60. Nothing dramatic has happened. Life is still good. Yet something subtle begins to shift. Activities and commitments that once felt natural start to invite…

Have you ever quietly wondered what your retirement plan would look like if it were just you? Not “the two of us.” Not “we’re set.” Just you. It’s not a question most couples linger on. And yet for many women, it eventually becomes reality. After my husband died, I discovered something no spreadsheet had prepared me for…