One of my many mottos is “It’s never too late to be what you might have been,” by George Elliot. And I know this first-hand.
As a 48-year-old wife and mother of four, I was working as a secretary and raising my family, when my husband unexpectedly passed away.
My whole life turned upside down. Suddenly I was looking at a vastly different future from the one I had always envisioned. My secretarial job paid the bills, but did not feed my soul. I muddled along, however, trying to make sense of my new life.
It wasn’t until I decided to go back to school at age 51, that I finally recaptured my life. Being back in school did more for me than grief therapy, personal counseling, or the passage of time could do. It gave me back, not just my life, but a new and enhanced life.
I emerged from school two years later, full of joy, zest and enthusiasm, and with a Masters Degree in education. Using my newfound passion - the power of lifelong learning for older adults – I found my perfect job as the Director of the Elderhostel Institute Network, (www.roadscholar.org/ein/intro.asp), a national network of almost 400 lifelong learning programs across the United States and Canada. Now this is a job that really feeds my soul!
Since then I have been following my bliss. In the process, I remarried at age 55, went to work for myself at age 58, and at age 61, authored my first book, “Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.”
“Learning Later, Living Greater” introduces readers to the ideas and benefits of later-life learning. It challenges people to become involved in meaningful new avenues of productivity: learning for the sheer joy of learning something new, educational travel, volunteerism, civic action, and more. It shows them how to stay mentally and spiritually young. “Learning Later, Living Greater” is the guidebook for transforming the after-work years into a richly satisfying period of personal growth and social involvement.
Today, at age 65, I is busier than ever, directing the Elderhostel Institute Network, marketing my book, doing radio interviews, TV shows, and speaking engagements, while authoring articles and columns for various Internet web sites. My newest endeavor, an online course on how to find life satisfaction, called "Make the Most of Your After 50 Years," is now active on the Daily Om web site at http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/courses/courseoverview.cgi?cid=207&aff=
My work gives my life real purpose, a daily challenge, and lots of outside contact and stimulation. I feels truly blessed and grateful that I have a wonderful family, gorgeous grandchildren, a terrific and supportive husband, and work about which I feel very passionate.
Another of my favorite expressions, “To be able to look back on one’s life in satisfaction, is to live twice,” by Kalil Gibran, guides my life now.
My book can be found in bookstores, at www.amazon.com or on my web site at www.learninglater.com. You can reach me at learninglater@comcast.net.
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