As I was indulging myself in my favorite Sunday pastime (reading the newspaper in PRINT vs. online ) I ran across a review of this new book by author Suzanne Levine.

Her book is intriguing to me in that I am about to hit the big five OH this year and she describes that age as the beginning of the "second adulthood", for women ages 50 to 75. Levine, a feminist says " We are not the women we were, only older. We have reached the end of our roles. We are no longer primarily daughters, mothers, sisters or good girls." "Statistically , when on your 50th birthday you look back to age 25, you will have the same number of years ahead of you for discoveries, adventures and new relationships."

Ms. Levine, a long-time feminist also says this about our age group: " Individually and collectively, we have challenged the establishment, taken risks and made changes, and along the way we have gained a certain amount of economic authentication and political clout."

This is a great comfort to one mom/daughter/healthcare worker/ex-good girl who finds herself single and looking at the age of 49 and a half. I remember as a young woman covered up with a demanding job and a demanding daughter and a lukewarm marriage wondering what my future held. All of those roles are gone now, and it's just me against the world.

Sitting here poised on the brink of my "second adulthood", I hope that Ms. Levine is right, and that the best is yet to come.

Y'all keep the faith. ^j^