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A Piece of My Mind
STORIES OF LIFE AND RESILIENCE
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Growing up I was told that my father was William Carpenter, a soldier who died in Vietnam. I found out that was a lie. For seventeen years I thought I was April Carpenter so who was I now?
Growing older is not like falling off a cliff. It is a gradual and inevitable transition from one year to the next. So at what point do we become old and who gets to decide?
Everyone on this planet has had pain and trauma. There's no escaping it, but there is a way to survive. We all need a Dr. Laura in our life to tell us what we need to hear. The hard truth may set you free and help you move forward, even when you feel you can’t.
If we are lucky enough, we will all grow older. This transition in life is a flow from one decade to the other. We move forward, not back, and there are inevitable changes that go with each passing year. In our youth we study and learn (hopefully) to be an adult. Then we marry, (for some of us more than once), maybe we have children, and we spend our days in a hectic haze of responsibilities and growth. Then as things slow, and children are raised and launched, we slow down a bit. That’s when we begin to take inventory of our life. Life pauses just long enough for us to realize that half of our life is gone.
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Whether you’re 20 or 80, know this: Love awaits you, patient and eternal. Embrace it, for in the twilight of life, we find our brightest stars. I hope my love story inspires countless hearts, reminding them that love blooms anew, even when the calendar pages turn.
Growing older isn’t about counting years; it’s about savoring moments. As we reflect on what makes us feel alive, let’s embrace the wrinkles, dance with memories, and cherish the simple joys. Life’s vibrancy awaits us at every turn—ready to be discovered anew.
Today I sit with the future self I imagined years ago and realize I have come full circle. I spent my entire career devoted to health and aging and now that I am an aging woman I am even more inspired to lead others and encourage them on their journey.
I wasn't planning to retire this early and when the pink slip was delivered I wasn't ready. When you lose your job through layoffs it's painful. It feels like part of you has been amputated. You know it's gone but you can still feel it.
One of the greatest things about being a woman is friendships. Not just acquaintances but deep, intense and personal relationships with women who often know you better than yourself. Those women who hold you up, put you in your place, and make you belly laugh so hard that your sides hurt and you pee yourself. Those are my people. Those are my pals.
I was never the type of woman who longed for children. I was way too busy surviving to fantasize about picket fences, sticky fingers and happy endings. Now as I approach sixty I realize that being a childless woman can be lonely and it changes the entire concept of family.
As a Gerontologist I discuss the beauty of growing older and encourage others to embrace thier age. As an aging woman I am reconizing first hand the nuances of shifting towards a new decade where significant changes are happening. I am no longer just discussing the topic of aging, I am living it.
I've always been fiercely independent and I don't intend to change, not now and certainly not as a I grow older. For aging adults dependency can become a life sentence so we should give them grace when they refuse our well intended helping hand.
What I love about Yellowstone men is their masculinity. I consider myself a feminist but I'm still a woman who loves a strong man.
Life is hard and it seems to be getting tougher. On my journey I learned that it takes a lot of hustle and determination to succeed in this world. There were no shortcuts to adulthood and not everyone gets a trophy. But I have to wonder if that is still true in the world we live in today?
Dating should be fun and it can be if you use the experience wisely. Follow my top ten tips for dealing with creeps and don't waste your precious time on men who are never going to be the one.
The world is a busy, noisy place. A constant push and pull as we hurry to the next place, goal, love or chapter. If we could just pause long enough we may notice the magical excursions along the way. Those quiet and tender moments when we connect with others and our selves. That's where the magic lies in life. Enjoy them.
