Encouraging and equipping women over 60 to live their best life!
Valentine’s Day 2024 is my first Valentine’s Day in 44 years without my husband. Please do not feel sorry for me. I’ve received unexpected cards, chocolates, and other expressions of love. And I have a dinner date with the cutest, sweetest 6-year-old little man, who looks a lot like his Bop. Our first date was…
Sometimes in life we can get stuck in a place of scarcity and fear. We start playing the game of life to not lose instead of looking at this incredible life that is a gift and create an offense. I believe that’s how God has designed us. I believe he wants us to be optimistic, grateful, and confident. He wants us to use the gifts and talents that make us unique. When you look at your children, don’t you want the best for them. I believe that’s what God wants for us.
Does this story sound like something you’ve experienced? “I’ve always wanted to be a mom, but I couldn’t have children. Five years ago, I married a man who has adult kids. The relationship between my husband and his kids hasn’t always been close but he is trying. His oldest son is about to become a…
Ask yourself the question: If my marriage were everything I would want it to be, what would that look like? This is going to be very important. We can be our own worst enemies, giving up hope and getting stuck in an old mindset. The new year, is the perfect time to take a fresh look. It’s your life. The same-old is always available.
Molding the difficult into something new and beautiful is part of the grieving, healing process. Everything has a season. Along with the seasons of joy and celebration come seasons of mourning and loss. These rolling highs and lows are how life works. For each fading flower comes the remembrance of former beauty, love, comfort, and the hope of forward motion.
I work out. I eat well. I take a joint supplement and use a daily moisturizer. I do the same things most of you do to look and feel your best. Like my friend Jacquelyn told me while discussing this topic: “I can’t stop aging, but I am hoping to look the best I can for the age I’m at—and that makes me feel better.” That is probably the goal for all of us!
Are you feeling sad? Feeling lonely? Have you built a facade in your marriage? You need the truth here, the real down deep feelings about how you are really feeling about your marriage. I was truthful with you. I felt dead inside. I couldn’t see the future. I didn’t know how it was going to happen. But I wanted more from my marriage.
Just because we have approached our marriage a certain way for so long, doesn’t mean it always has to be that way. I feel we have been given these creative brains that we underutilize. We are such creatures of habit. What if there is a new, exciting way to approach your marriage.
Contemplating the year ahead has given thought to the advantages and blessings of being the age I am. I say advantages because I choose to look at the positive side of life! After all, there really isn’t anything I can do to change what stage of life I am at, and it’s a lot better than listing all of the unfortunate maladies, doctor’s appointments and issues of aging!
Are you having fun with the person you have chosen to do life with? Fun will look different for each and every marriage. What I think is fun in my marriage probably won’t appeal to you. But I will say, the more fun I have with my husband the more in love with him I feel. Learning to laugh at myself, even when I blow it and admit my mistake—but have the courage to snicker about it, this has been huge for me.
