Welcome to Huff/Post50

If you're reading this without glasses consider yourself lucky.

Many of you are looking to your future and creating a vision for the next few decades. Whether your future is Calgon clear or as grey as the hair you dye, life for Post50 Boomers is probably nothing like what your parents' was. I know there are those of you will argue the differences between Boomers and Jonesers. We will have thousands of discussions about what defined our generation. But for now, just go with the flow.

At middle age, my parents had married off my sister and were waiting for my brother and me to walk the down the aisle. Dad worked towards retirement and Mom cared for my sister's young girls. After Dad retired, my parents waited for more grandchildren to care for. More babies came. Dad golfed and he and Mom, together, did their Victory Laps of Parenting, taking care of everyone's grandchildren's needs. My parents didn't question what their future held.

The future for Boomers is different. Our parents were winding down at middle age; we are winding up. There are so many options available to us. Our generation is Go, Go, Go, Go, Go, Do Do, Do, Do, Do --which, I believe, is a recently-unearthed Sinatra record . My parents were cool with how simply they spent their time. But for us, there's so much to do, so little time.

Maybe your options are not of your choosing, but ones that have been imposed on you. A lot of you are caring for aging or sick parents. Some of you might be calculating how old you'll be when your twin toddlers graduate from college and whether your walker will fit up the aisle of the plane. Maybe your kids have returned home after college. Maybe your nest is empty. Maybe you'll travel and take a lover in South America. Whatever your current position, you've probably looked into your metaphorical crystal ball and imagined some of the above.

Having recently become a new grandmother, Gramps and I are also still raising a techno teenager. While some Boomers are standing on one leg in the park perfecting their Tai Chi, I'm learning how to rebalance being there for my loved ones while exploring all the things there are to do creatively, professionally and physically. Since life is pregnant with possibilities, do Boomers have more awareness than our parents did about what to expect when you're expecting -- middle age, that is?

We want life to be a celebration of having made it this far. I have had family and friends get sick, or die, lose money, lose jobs, lose spouses and lose their minds. I have friends who have risen from the devastation to see a new path ahead. We don't want to squander whatever glorious time is left.

I have seen people I don't know inspire me and teach me about their journeys in middle age. I'm blessed with good health, although on occasion I have avoided working out so as not to ruin a good blow dry, I look OK without any plastic surgery or fillers, no judgment on those who have. I try to find the humor in situations and pray for those who are hurting. Saying "Thank you, God" for being alive is a mantra. Seeing my family thrive is joyous and comforting, yet never taken for granted. Giving back to the community becomes more rewarding with age especially when we think of what we can leave behind.

My team and I hope this new site will be helpful as you plan your life between now and your 100th birthday. Hey, my mom is turning ninety next month so it's not that far fetched. There is always hope. There is always another day with some good music in it. I may be biased, but did our generation not have the best music ever??? Go, go, go, go, go, do, do, do, do, do.........

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