Suzanne Braun Levine
NextAvenue.org

The author at 70 catalogs how she’s acting her age

It seems as though everyone I know is talking about death. We are also talking about how, to our surprise, death seems more like the houseguest who won’t leave than the grim reaper. That’s the big difference about being over 70. Death is more of a presence — an active presence — and less of a threat than it was when we were 60. As my friend Robin puts it, when time is running out, we are blessed with the “gift of urgency.”

Huff/Post 50

You might say it’s the time of year for silver belles. Vogue’s Vicki Woods, a journalist who has written cover stories for the fashion mag on Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker, is the latest high-profile figure to go gray. She wrote about her decision in a recent post:

by Amy Ferris
marryinggeorgeclooney.com

May 20th, 2012 – 10:57am

oh. life stories.

we were deciding on whether or not my mom should be moved one more rung up the assisted living ladder.

Marcia G. Yerman
Huff/Post50

Three books that fall on this continuum which overlap, while still standing solidly in their own sphere are:

• Naked At Our Age: Talking Out Loud About Senior Sex by Joan Price
• How We Love Now: Sex and the New Intimacy in Second Adulthood by Suzanne Braun Levine
• Prime Time by Jane Fonda

By Mark Schwartz
Huff/Post50

My cousin Mark Schwartz is mentioned in How We Love Now as one of the folks who reconnected with a college sweetheart and found happiness at last. Before that, though, he was married and divorced twice and developed a web site – suddenbachelor.com – for midlife men in the same boat. Recently he has become a blogger on Huff/Post50, where I also blog.

His latest article – “Aging: America Needs to Address The Coming Hordes”- is a very strong and thoughtful appeal to start a real conversation about alternative living arrangements for aging parents (and, soon, ourselves)…

By Suzanne Braun Levine

It seems self-evident that generations can reinforce each other – by sharing the stories of their lives, by working together, and by living together in communities that are responsive to the needs of citizens of all ages. But those communities are too few and far between.

In “How We Love Now” I talk about the difference between care-giving and care-getting, by which I mean the necessity of watching out for one’s own needs even if it means asking for help (and we all know how hard that is!).

As a model for one kind of care-getting I describe the Caring Collaborative created by The Transition Network (TTN).

By Karin Lippert,
Half-Marathon Walker

We all know walking is just about the most perfect exercise.

Out the door, one foot in front of the other, 30 to 50 minutes – three or more times per week and you’re on your way to feeling fit.

Mary Eileen Williams. Reinventing the
Spirit and Style of Aging

Mary Eileen Williams, the warm, lively and informative host of “Feisty Side of Fifty Radio,” promises her listeners: “Give me just fifteen minutes of your time and I’ll give you interviews with authors, actors, and experts who will inspire you to make significant and positive changes in your own life.” And, she delivers on the promise.

By Enid Weishaus, MSW, founder
Smarter, Bolder. Older™

Women Redefining Life after 50…

Smarter, Bolder, Older™ – a one-day event for women 50+ – grew out of my own experience of aging and conversations with other women. I am committed to changing the stereotype of aging and loss in midlife to one of vitality, embracing new opportunities and possibilities as women in midlife and beyond get clear on what matters and makes the most of this stage of their lives.