Jackie Pilossoph is a newspaper columnist and creator of the Divorced Girl Smiling Blog. We’ve linked to her in the past (So Why Did You Get Divorced?), and are happy to do it again with this piece from the Chicago Tribune, “Women Over 50 Have Radiance in Abundance.”
The heart of her column concerns a letter she got from a 53 year old man whose 23 year marriage had ended in 2010. It’s basically a rave about women who are of a similar age. The writer says the women know what they want in a relationship. They’re dedicated to making the next part of their life amazing. They’re alive, and revel in the freedom of being single. And he suggests these women just get out and enjoy life, as their natural radiance will be more than enough to attract a real man.
Jackie, who gets countless emails from women Over 50 who say how hard it is to meet men, says she felt like doing cartwheels. More importantly, along with Judy Freedman of “A Boomer’s Life After 50, she goes on to elaborate on why being a woman over 50 can be so fabulous. Among the points they make:
- Wisdom: You’ve learned from your personal and professional experiences. You can look back on what you’ve done, and ahead to what you haven’t.
- Confidence: You’re comfortable with your inner self. You have a healthy self-esteem. That allows you to be vulnerable; by showing your true self to someone else, you can develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship.
- Independence: If you like being by yourself, then you’re fine whether there’s a partner in your life or not.
This is very much in line with the Thrive Stage we talk about in our Roadmap Through a Divorce Over 50. Whether you wanted your Divorce or not, you’ve taken advantage of the situation, hit the reset button, and gotten back to being who you want to be. Stronger, more sure of yourself, you’re moving forward in your life. Your radiance should attract the right partner if that’s what you want (though it’s fine if you don’t), but either way you’re embracing your brighter future.
