So glad you could join me here at Aging Gracefully. I’m Barbra, the woman behind the words. I work with all you wild, wonderful women who have reached an age where you know yourself pretty well...
You have spent a lifetime investing in others, through marriage, motherhood, work and other relationships, but now you are able to invest time in yourself. What interests you? What would you like to learn more about? In a world which glorifies youth and beauty where do women "of a certain age" fit? That was the genesis for this blog.
In my 60+ years I have worn many hats: Wife for over 40 years, Mom of 3 and Grandmom of 6, church secretary for over a quarter century, newspaper reporter, article writer, Director of Women’s Ministries – the list goes on and on. You’ve got a list like that, too, which grew as you matured and added a few years.
That’s the "aging" part of this blog. We’ve been around the block a few times and learned a lot in the process. Now we can relax and enjoy the slower pace of the "later years." But that doesn’t mean life is over for us. There are lots of good times and good experiences ahead, and they are even better if we share them with friends.
The "gracefully" part refers to my relationship with Jesus and the amazing things he has helped me work through in life. I was married at a young age to a very abusive alcoholic. When the marriage ended, he took my 2 year old daughter and disappeared. After 15 years I learned where she was, but she didn’t want anything to do with me. It took a decade to build a relationship with her. Then she died. But God got me through all that, gave me a wonderful new husband and 2 other very special children. That, my friends, is grace!
I’ve seen a huge number of blogs by and for young wives and mothers, but very few dealing with the issues that face us older women. When the kids are gone and we’re getting to know our hubby again, the problems are different. When we have a lot of free time to fill but not a lot of years left, how do we learn to enjoy our lives and make a difference in our world? I’m in the last season of my life, and I hope to make it just as wonderful as all the others.
I invite you to join me in the journey of aging gracefully – it’s more fun with company, don’t you think? Grab a cup of coffee and a munchie, open a page that interests you, and join me as we explore some new ideas and interests.