New Directions

I never imagined how much becoming a grandmother would alter my life. I bought an infant car seat, a toddler booster seat, a bouncer, a walker, a high chair, a pack n play and a crib. I bought toys, books and games for visits. Seriously, there should be baby showers for grammas. Could grandchildren be God's way of showing us that we are never too old to change? God never accepted age as an excuse to refuse to change or head out in a new direction. Moses was 80 when God sent him to lead the Israelites and Abraham was 75 when he responded to God's call. We must make room in our tidy homes and in our quiet lives for the craziness of little ones and thank God for his miraculous gift of placing them in our lives. This is our chance to do things differently, to do things better. May we never take for granted the gift of grandchildren.

Graceful Aging

Why is it that some women become so dark, bitter and negative as they age, yet some stay full of hope and joy with eyes that continue to shine? We all have bodies that sag, wrinkle, bulge in the wrong places and ache all over. We all turn gray and covered with spots. We all gain weight and begin to lose our minds. We all go through menopause. We have good times and bad; tough times and easy times. Life is hard for all of us. What is the common thread running through those women who continue to be hopeful, joyful, a pleasure to be around and to the best of their ability, full of life ? What is their secret? I have a dear friend Sandy. Everything that comes out of her mouth is a blessing. I have another acquaintance that lost her husband and all her children in a car accident. Talk about Joy! I have another friend that is a struggle to be around. You know why. I am sure you have one like her. I have had two goals in my life. 1. To one day be able to stand before God and say I have loved you and I did the very best that I could.   2. To age gracefully.
Hhmmm, now all I have to do is figure out #2.

To all the beautiful women out there over 55.

Through the years, we have lovingly and faithfully supported and taken care of husbands, given everything we have to raise multiple children to responsible adulthood, paid for multiple cars, weddings and colleges while at the same time working outside the home part time with many of us maintaining full time careers. We have even survived the horrors of menopause. Now we find we have aging parents who are either too ill or are not financially prepared to care for themselves and we have become elderly caregivers. Where is that "peaceful" empty nest we have heard so much about?
Women I love, we are in the Third Watch of our lives, but we are tired.
Tell me your stories and stay tuned....