Older Women & Friends: Real Women. Real Experts. Real Talk About Aging

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Judy Foreman is a survivor of physical and emotional abuse from both her mother and father. Her dad – she had to call him by his first name only—was an alcoholic, a bully, and the perpetrator of unending abuse until Judy left home for Wesley College. Her mother could not or would not express love and affection. Judy can’t remember a time when her mother hugged, kissed, or supported her in any way. Only when Judy stayed with a Danish family for a summer did she begin to realize how dysfunctional her family was. But Judy’s journey toward healing took years of therapy and self-introspection. Her new book, Let the More Loving One Be Me: My Journey from Trauma to Freedom, is a testament to her inner strength and her refusal tolead a life of fear, anxiety, and mistrust.The book is available on Amazon and on most other book sites.You can find out about her other books at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Judy-Foreman/author/B00E7GSZ8M?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=truewww.judyforeman.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/judy-foreman-88a0272/

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You might wonder what a 31-year-old woman in her thirties knows about fashion for older women. I had the same question. Who is Londoner Jacynth Bassett, and why, as a late twenty-something, did she leave her law studies behind to launch an online women’s clothing boutique—an all-inclusive boutique that has older women in mind? Bassett explains that she has always been a fashionista and that when accompanying her mother on shopping sprees, she realized how frustrating it was for older women like her “mum” to find clothes that fit and reflected their sense of style. Thus, the idea behind the Bias Cut (a brilliant entendre) was born. Today, Bassett’s online women’s clothing site flourishes.  And her Ageism Is Never In Style®, the campaign, movement, and consultancy arm of the company, leads the way in calling out ageism and changing the narrative. As testimony to her commitment and accomplishments, Bassett was named "One of the Evening Standard’s 22 Londoners Changing The World in 2022.”Check out www.thebiascut.com and see for yourself.www.thebiascut.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jacynth-bassett-b3872aba/thebiascut.com/pages/jacynth-bassett-ageism-fighting-trailblazerhttps://www.linkedin.com/showcase/ageism-is-never-in-style%C2%AE/https://ageing-better.org.uk/news/age-positive-image-library-launched

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“I'm too old to start a new career”“I shouldn’t exercise a lot because I can easily injure myself.”“Both of my parents died young, so I guess that’s my fate, too.”“I’d better give up driving now, even though my eyesight is good.”Sound familiar? Have you heard these gender myths bandied about, and maybe deepdown, you actually subscribe to some of them? That’s where Helen Hirsh Spence foundherself in her mid-sixties. She’d been an accomplished teacher, principal, andsuperintendent, yet she was stuck. She wanted to move forward toward something newand rewarding but had lost confidence in herself. She’d hit a wall—a wall she mistookfor depression. Helen started talking to her peers and discovered that many felt thesame way. What was going on? It took a while before Helen understood that she hadinternalized the negative myths about older women as “over the hill,” invisible, andincompetent. But she was none of those things. Listen to how the founder of Top SixtyOver Sixty found her way and what she is doing now. You might be surprised.helen@topsixtyoversixtyhttps://www.topsixtyoversixty.com/our-people/https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-hirsh-spence-a029a010/?originalSubdomain=cahttps://www.facebook.com/helen.hirshspence/

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Listeners have asked for an episode about sex—how to have good sex, problems and solutions post-menopause, and how to talk to partners about what we need and how to get it. Laurie Mintz is a professor emeritus of human sexuality whose book, Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters—And How to Get has been praised as a book that “will change how we think and talk about female sexual pleasure.” Any book that begins with an Introduction titled “Hello and I Want You To Orgasm” is bound to be fun, entertaining, and empowering. At the forefront of orgasm equality, Laurie Mintz provides dozens of helpful suggestions to increase women’s pleasure. You won’t want to miss this episode of “Older Women and Friends.”https://www.drlauriemintz.com/https://www.ted.com/talks/laurie_mintz_a_new_sexual_revolution_for_orgasm_equalityhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-mintz-a3972615/https://www.facebook.com/DrLaurieMintz/

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There is so much to unpack in my interview with Jeanette. Did you know that our brains improve with age? Hmm . . . . And did you know that the population is growing older, with a 50/50 chance that someone born today will live until she is 100? Why should we be “put out to pasture” when we’re 65: there is so much that older people can add to the workplace and to society as a whole. But ageism is alive and well. By the time kids are three, they are already conditioned to see older people as wacky, limited, and infirm. Jeanette explains why and offers steps we can take to change the narrative. She writes on her website, “There are some really wonderful assets to getting older. And it’s about time everyone hears that story.”  www.jeanetteleardi.com

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What does a Gen Zer think about aging and older women? As it turns out, plenty. Young women in their twenties are focused on careers, potential partners, finances, and friendships--just as it should be. But they are burdened with the expectations of our youth-obsessed culture, in many ways, just as older women are. I hope you’ll listen to my 23-year-old guest, Lia Kahan, as we talk about her ideas about aging women, the media portrayal of older women, the stereotypes, the hype around self-care, and so much more.

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In her new book, Not Too Old For That: How Women Are Changing the Story of Aging, Vicki Larson adds her voice to the growing conversation of older women taking control of the narrative. Larson, 66, tackles topics like online dating, sex, and changing living arrangements for older women who value their independence. She champions “postmenopausal zest” and the value of women figuring out what they really want. You won’t want to miss this interview!

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Are you a woman in mid-life? Are you dealing for the first time with feeling invisible? Are you trying to beat the clock of aging? Do you look toward the experiences and wisdom of older women to help show the way? Join Ann Douglas, author of “Navigating the Messy Middle: A Fiercely Honest and Wildly Encouraging Guide for Midlife Women,” in an engaging discussion for both younger and older women.

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NextTtribe is an online magazine for women 50+ that has expanded into a source for women-only trips to fabulous places like Paris and the Scottish Isles. The bonds between women, especially as we age, are cemented in these trips. Listen to Jeannie and two other women who have traveled together as they talk about their trips and their friendships.

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The authors of Not Dead Yet: Rebooting Your Life After 50 and Suddenly Single After 50, share their stories about divorce, death, dating, friendship, and much more. Barbara Ballinger and Margaret Crane have been friends for decades, drawn together by their love of writing and the shared life experiences of older women. Both Barbara and Margaret are now in their 70s.