As somebody who is nudging ever closer to the big seven zero every year, I find it hard to believe that almost seven decades of my life have already passed. I have to say that I don’t really feel that different on the inside. I remember a good friend who is older than me telling me years ago that as you age you don’t really feel any different. I now understand what he was saying.
All this reflecting began when I stumbled across a couple of articles the other day describing “The New Middle Age”. You can peruse them here and here. The bottom line is that many people continue to do extraordinary things after turning 50 or 60. And keeping busy apparently even comes with a 11% lower death risk.
With our healthier lifestyle, “we aren’t just living longer, we’re living better, too. Which means today’s 70-year-old is less dependent on others, has a sharp mind, and is fully functional.” (www.afterfiftyliving.com)
So 65 is no longer deemed the gateway to old age. Some studies bump it to as high as age 74, claiming that old age should begin when we have 15 years or less left to live. That might be pushing it a bit!
I went through my divorce when I was in my early 50s after twenty years of marriage. My older son had already left home; my younger son would be leaving very soon. The house was almost paid for and I was already planning for retirement. Unknown to me, an entire new life with a new wife in several new countries was on the horizon. So I guess I am living proof of the above.
Turning 50 or 60 these days is not the same as it was thirty years ago. If you divorce later in life, as I did, you still have lots of opportunities for new experiences. You could have as many years left as have already passed. My 95-year-old father has been retired for longer than he worked!
So I encourage everyone who goes through a breakup later in life to not despair. You can move on to another phase and a new beginning. A few chapters of your life may be over but the novel is nowhere near finished. You have no idea what lies ahead. It is up to you to create the rest of the book!
