“I’m about to turn 50 and seeking life lessons from my more seasoned sisters”

I believe I will be entering the most liberating phase of my life.

I am nearly 50-years old! Hallelu! I welcome this second stage of aging with gratitude! I pity those women who bemoan the idea of becoming more seasoned. Fools! Aging offers an opportunity to reach new goals, and a chance to focus on ourselves after years of focusing on others. I believe I will be entering the most liberating phase of my life.

Vintage is beautiful, no matter which decade it originated.

I want nothing to do with those women who dread aging. I want to join the sisters who walk down the street with a stride, so cocksure they’re the shit because their seasoned selves look so damn good!

I love the fierce 50BOLD women, who speak/preach about their journey to now with pride. Got to admire women who battle the adversity of time proudly–wrinkles, bags, sags, graying/thinning hair, FUPA–these girls ain’t hiding or covering up a thing; and they’re certainly not dodging Mother Nature.

I give my full attention to those sisters who are blessed enough to have reached their golden years. Many have fought and won challenging health battles with illnesses that tried to take them out. These brave women have stories to share of how they demonstrated unmatched strength on their way to survival, refusing to let illness cramp their style.

And what about menopause? In the past, women managed this natural change privately but thankfully, not now! I am all ears and have already chatted with a few sisters who have gone through the ‘second spring.’ Many have already calmed my fears to assure me that menopause does not have to be volcanic; what is true for one woman isn’t necessarily true for another. I have been made to understand that a lot of the falsehoods that exist around menopause come from the vocabulary traditionally used to describe it.

Oh yes, I will listen wholeheartedly to the women who have experienced life-altering situations and learn from their courageous stories on how to fight in the most inspiring of ways.

And what about love and aging? 

There is so much knowledge to be gained from older women who have loved too much, were often not loved enough, or who sacrificed parts of themselves they have not regained. What about those multi-tasking sisters who raised kids while also trying to raise their men? Oh, the stories they tell! On the flip side, I am here for the stories of love that have aged well. There are those who have maintained successful relationships over time and whose union has provided a foundation for positive change.

And what about those older women whose permanently creased knees divulge their heavy reliance on constant prayer? These grateful prayer warriors have come to count on a higher power to get them through the years. As these women age, they continue to hone their spiritual skills as they look to the sky while supplicating to the Almighty. Faith is these women’s sustenance, no doubt.

Faith can fuel, and I yearn to become more God-focused, so preach/teach me!

As I get closer to age 50, I welcome the teachings of my more seasoned sisters. Overall, aging gets a bad rap. I understand there will be trials, hurts, limitations, but what matters most is how I respond to the stresses of growing older. I don’t want to just arrive at old age; I want to flourish and thrive. I want to believe that when something goes wrong, other things will go right.

Fifty, here I come and to those more mature sisters, I am more than ready for you to impart life lessons to me. I am looking to ignite a passion for living an empowered and joyful second half of my life.