Honoring Esther
By Suzanne Braun Levine
Esther M. Broner, who died this month at 83, was a true woman of valor – generous to her friends, nurturing to her children, and devoted to the dignity of women. She wrote 11 books of fiction and non-fiction – all with a mystical subtext, was a philosopher, a witch (the good kind), and a believer in ritual.
Welcome to Summer – “Seeking the
Buddha Nature in a Kayak”
A Summer Poem
By Joyce Ellen Weinstein
Seeking the Buddha Nature in a Kayak
Gliding parallel the shoreline
Nanoseconds of now
SELF- INVENTION – The Bond Among Women of All Generations
By Suzanne Braun Levine
One thing about being an older mother is that you are constantly reminded of the truism that age doesn’t really describe the shape of a person’s life. Nor does our place on the family tree, the generation we are assigned to at birth. When my daughter was born I was 44, old enough to be her grandmother. When she went to school, I was old enough to be her teachers’ (and her friends parents’) mother. At the same time my contemporaries had long since forgotten about coping with babies and young children – they were on to the joys of grandchildren. My most meaningful cohort was other women with children my children’s age, but not my age themselves.
NY Public Library Hosts Encore
Careers Panel June 29 with
Purpose Prize Winners &
Suzanne Braun Levine
By Stefanie Weiss,
VP Communications at
Civic Ventures
Some of the most inspiring Encore stories come from Civic Ventures Purpose Prize winners and fellows, people in their 60s who are tackling society’s toughest problems.
GETTING FIRED TURNED OUT TO BE THE BEST THING!
Change, Fear and Taking the Plunge
By Suzanne Braun Levine
I’m not big on change. Most of us aren’t. That becomes a bigger problem the more choices we have and the more restless we feel. Second Adulthood is about choices and restlessness and trying something new, but that means change, and many of us get stuck at the edge of the diving board.
“FEISTY SIDE OF FIFTY RADIO” ROCKS!
Celebrating Baby Boomer Women
Mary Eileen Williams. Reinventing the
Spirit and Style of Aging
Mary Eileen Williams, the warm, lively and informative host of “Feisty Side of Fifty Radio,” promises her listeners: “Give me just fifteen minutes of your time and I’ll give you interviews with authors, actors, and experts who will inspire you to make significant and positive changes in your own life.” And, she delivers on the promise.
Mother’s Day Is For Daughters Too.
By Suzanne Braun Levine
I have always thought of Mother’s Day as a celebration of my mother, the Main Mom in the family. I made plans designed to please her and honor her on her Day. Eight months ago she died, and so this year, for the first time, I am the last mom standing. It is a weird feeling to have the day to myself, especially when my inclination is to spend it missing her. Yet when I think of the two of us as mothers, I see the…
“NEED A WOMAN OVER FIFTY FEEL OLD?”
An Editorial by Jane Addams, 1914
Introduction by Louise W. Knight, author
“Jane Addams: Spirit in Action”
By now it should come as no surprise that our foremothers did know a thing or two, but it is always stunning to come upon words of wisdom that are totally relevant today.
My friend Louise Knight, who has written the definitive biography of the reformer Jane Addams recently passed along the essay below. What is stunning here is how these words written almost a century ago speak to the current conversation about Second Adulthood or the Encore stage of life (just check out www.encore.com) in which we have an opportunity turn the wisdom, expertise, and confidence of our pre-fifty years – what Addams calls “moral energy”- to making our world a better place.
— Suzanne Braun Levine
“TELL YOUR DEMONS TO SHUT UP.”
We All Have Personal Demons…
By Suzanne Braun Levine,
FIFTY IS THE NEW FIFTY
10 Life Lessons for Women
In Second Adulthood
FEAR!!!!
We each have our personal demons that show up in the middle of the night shrieking a litany of worst-case scenarios: What if I don’t have enough money to support myself? What if that nagging ache is something really serious? What if I can’t figure out what to do next? What’s wrong with meeeeeee?
“Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes”
Where Do You Want/Need to Be?
By Suzanne Braun Levine,
FIFTY IS THE NEW FIFTY,
10 Life Lessons for Women
In Second Adulthood
Second Adulthood is all about change…the changes that befall us and those we generate. The first without the second creates a miasma of disappointment. The second, if it doesn’t incorporate the first, is frustrating and discouraging…