Solo Living

It wasn’t the doctor’s appointment that bothered her. It was having to ask someone for a ride. For more than 50 years, Connie had driven herself everywhere. Grocery shopping, family gatherings, vacations, emergencies – if she needed to go somewhere, she simply picked up her keys and went…

The emergency contact line was blank. It was a simple form, the kind most of us have filled out dozens of times. Name. Address. Phone number. Then came the question: Who should we contact in an emergency? For some women, that’s an easy question. For others, it can be surprisingly difficult. Not because they don’t have meaningful relationships…

When an acquaintance, Michael, shared with me that he had lost his job at a small law firm, it opened a new level of communication between us. We talked about his new situation and he told me he was very appreciative of having my ear…

In a world of endless options, especially when it comes to food, it’s easy for single Boomer women to default to going to restaurants all the time, grabbing take out, or even (gasp!) driving through for fast food come mealtime…

Have you ever been surrounded by others but felt alone? Or been alone and fully engaged in what you were doing? I sure have, and it got me exploring the distinction between being alone, a circumstance, and feeling lonely, an emotion. Many of us assumed retirement would be lonely. We worried about losing coworkers, routines, or a spouse…

There’s a shift happening, and you may have noticed it. You may even be part of it. More and more women at this stage of life are choosing not to seek a romantic partner. Some are even giving up the ones they have after years of toeing the line or just settling for ho-hum emotional fulfillment…

There is a version of starting over that looks good on paper. You finally have your freedom. You are discovering yourself. You are building a life that is entirely yours. And some days that is exactly what it feels like. But there are things nobody tells you. Things that don’t make it into the inspirational…

When life gets quiet (and quiet it will), 
When noise fades away and the world holds still, When chatter goes soft and the rush disappears, And you’re left with your thoughts… and your questions… and fears— Most folks get uneasy. They reach for a sound, A screen, or a voice, or some busyness found. They fill up the silence, they turn up the noise, Distracting themselves with a thousand small toys…

A woman over 60 cancels plans on a Friday night. She makes tea. She sits in a chair she loves and reads until her eyes get heavy. She sleeps well. When someone asks what she did over the weekend, she hesitates. Because “nothing” sounds like a confession when you’re over 60. A younger woman has the same Friday. She calls it self-care. Same evening…

Yesterday I made a roast chicken with all the fixings. There was no occasion. I wasn’t expecting anyone for dinner. I roasted potatoes, made carrots and turnip mash, and put together a large salad with whatever was ready in the garden. At the last minute, I baked a lemon pound cake because there was a lemon in the fridge, and it seemed like a good idea…