Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined

By Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau

Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined challenges outdated narratives about aging and celebrates what’s possible in later life.

Through thoughtful conversations, personal reflections, and honest storytellin... more

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6767 ratings

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The podcast currently has 402 episodes available.

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Number 1: 397 Ann Stanford: Envisioning the Fullness of Self
Retirement has afforded Ann Stanford, age 75, “unbelievable luxury—the space and freedom to let things bubble up.” She savors this time to reflect on how she really wants to live and what it means to become fully herself. Always a writer, a former mentor to adult learners, and now a spiritual companion, Ann is committed to “telling my own truths”—and helping others express theirs. Psychoanalysis and contemplative practice have opened the door to “profound spiritual experiences,” helping Ann move beyond a difficult childhood and later struggles with depression and addiction. She is deeply grateful for the “mooring” provided by family and community, as well as for the space that silence and solitude have given her to listen inward. Ann lives by a simple but powerful maxim: “Don’t be afraid of the demons. Trust other people to help you. The answers are in you.” "If ever I lose my intellectual and physical functioning, I pray I will still have a place inside myself that welcomes me." - Ann Stanford Connect with Ann: [email protected] Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor, AARP Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security, and stronger communities. Visit AARP.org/IL to learn more. Shining the Light on the Age-Wise Collective: Adriane Berg, host of the podcast, Ageless Traveler—stories from people 50+ who never want to stop traveling. https://agelesstraveler.com/podcasts/
September 09, 202626min
Number 2: 396 Cynthia Goren: A Life of Learning, Listening, and Helping Others
At 89, Cynthia Goren is navigating a profound new chapter. Since the death of her husband last October after 67 years of marriage, she has become more aware of her own mortality—and more determined to live meaningfully. For Cynthia, that means continuing to learn, staying engaged in the things she loves, and, above all, helping others. “People need favors,” she says. “Physical help, someone to listen to their stories.” Listening and helping have been threads throughout Cynthia’s life. A lifelong learner and teacher, Cynthia traces her love of learning to her parents. Teaching became a natural extension of her curiosity: she taught English in elementary school and literature at community college, delighting in explaining ideas and sharing what she was discovering. Even today, learning remains an essential part of who she is. Cynthia’s Jewish faith and traditions have also shaped her sense of responsibility to others. Wanting to pass those traditions on to her children and grandchildren, she wrote Tales from a Jewish Grandmother: A Book of “Bubbe Meises,” using stories, food, Jewish education, family life, and humor to preserve a heritage she treasures. Now she is turning to another family story: the life of her father, who grew up in a shtetl before coming to the United States at age nine. Using handwritten notes he left behind, Cynthia is transforming his memories into historical fiction—preserving one generation’s story for those who come after. Her compassion has extended beyond her family. Trained as a para-chaplain, Cynthia met weekly with older adults in a nursing home, using conversations about the Sabbath to create a space where people could talk openly about sadness, loss, and the realities of their lives. Cynthia’s story reminds us that meaningful living doesn’t require standing still when life changes. It can mean adapting, remaining curious, listening deeply, preserving the stories that matter—and continuing to ask, “How can I help?” “Helping others is the Jewish way of life.” - Cynthia Goren Connect with Cynthia: Book: Tales from a Jewish Grandmother: A Book of “Bubbe Meises Email: [email protected] Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor, AARP Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security, and stronger communities. Visit AARP.org/IL to learn more.
September 02, 202627min
Number 3: 395 Melinda Blau: Life is a Series of Nexts - Take Pride in Little Things
For much of her life, writer Melinda Blau, 82, was curious about older women. Now she is discovering what it means to be one. Melinda began her career in educational publishing, where writers don’t have to worry about word count. Later, working on her first magazine piece for New York, her editor, T. George Harris challenged her: “You skip through life. Why are you lumbering on paper?” It was one of many lessons in a lifelong writing career—and a reminder that there is always something new to learn. That same curiosity eventually drew Melinda to nine older women whose friendships profoundly influenced her life. They became the inspiration for “The Wisdom Whisperers.” Henrietta, legally blind and living to 99, into her 100s, became Melinda’s model for courage. Zelda still played tennis at 99 and walked three miles a day into her 100s. Marge, who might have been New York’s oldest Wall Street investor, was still managing her own portfolio at age 104. Melinda affectionately called them “my old ladies.” Each showed her something about resilience, independence, courage, and finding pleasure in the everyday. Their examples stayed with her as she faced her own losses, changes, and “nexts.” And then came the moment that stopped her: someone said to Melinda, “You are my old lady.” In this conversation, Melinda reflects on what these women taught her, what she is learning now that she is 82, and why aging well may have less to do with grand accomplishments than with drawing on what we already know, remaining curious, taking pride in the little things—and continuing to look for the good. “There are challenges in aging. Look at what is, use your skills, draw on past experiences for strength—and look for the good.” - Melinda Blau Connect w Melinda: Substack: Melinda Blau Email: [email protected] Book: The Wisdom Whisperers-Golden Guides to a Long Life of Grit, Grace, and Laughter Meet Our Platinum Sponsor AARP Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security, and stronger communities. Visit AARP.org/IL to learn more. Shining the Light on the Age-Wise Collective: Adriane Berg, host of the podcast, Ageless Traveler—stories from people 50+ who never want to stop traveling. https://agelesstraveler.com/podcasts/
August 26, 202635min
Number 4: 393 Terry Craig: The Power and Satisfaction of Building Community
At 71, Terry Craig reflects on a life shaped by creativity, curiosity, movement, and reinvention. Growing up as the second of six siblings, Terry learned early how to resolve conflicts and bring people together. Her mother sewed clothing for the family, and Terry soon discovered her own love of sewing and creating patterns. Over the years, she expanded into quilting and fiber art, including painting with wool and learning wet felting. Always eager to try something new, Terry embraces projects that keep her engaged and inspired. After studying interior design at the Art Institute, Terry realized she wanted a career centered on people and moved into human resources, and later into sales, after relocating to Florida. Upon returning to Chicago, she again worked in HR. Wherever Terry lives, she brings her sewing machine and seeks out community. Local community centers offer groups and classes where she can play Scrabble and connect with fellow stitchers. Physical movement has always been important. Terry began cycling after high school and met her future husband through the sport. Together, they explore multi-day rides, and they are now preparing for a five-week, self-guided e-bike tour along the canals of Paris, ending with a week on the Riviera. Today, she and her husband split their time between Chicago and Scottsdale, AZ where she teaches sewing to a group of 167 people. The group also completes charitable projects, including Easter baskets, pillowcases, and activity totes for children. Terry stays active through hiking, pickleball, cycling, and walking—10,000 steps barely faze her. She believes age is a state of mind and encourages others to overcome fear by starting small and celebrating tiny successes. For Terry Craig, reinvention is a lifelong way of living. “Age is a state of mind and you can overcome fear by starting small and celebrating tiny successes.” - Terry Craig CONNECT WITH TERRY: Email: [email protected] AARP Logo Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor, AARP Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security, and stronger communities. Visit AARP.org/IL to learn more.
August 12, 202625min
Number 5: 384 Sybil Kolon: A Lifelong Commitment to Legacy and Conservation
For nearly fifty years, Sybil Kolon has devoted herself to protecting 79 acres of family land in Michigan’s Irish Hills. Originally owned by her grandparents, the property was placed under option with Legacy Land Conservancy in 1976 with the hope that it would someday become a nature preserve. Now 72, Sybil spent her childhood exploring the farm’s woods and fields, developing a lifelong love of nature. After attending Michigan Tech and Michigan State University, she returned to live on the land with her husband, building a home there in 1983. Over time, she became the family’s caretaker of the property and felt deeply responsible for preserving it for future generations. In 2015, Sybil and her husband created a living trust with Legacy Land Conservancy to ensure the land would eventually become a preserve. But Sybil decided there was no reason to wait. She began working to transform the property into a public nature preserve during her lifetime, including carefully deconstructing the old farmhouse so its materials could be salvaged and reused. In June 2025, Iron Creek Preserve officially opened to the public. Today, Sybil is leading yet another conservation effort after nearby land was sold to a gravel mining company, threatening both the preserve and surrounding wildlife habitat. What began as a personal commitment to family land has become a larger mission of environmental stewardship and community advocacy. "Taking care of the land is important — but we have to take care of each other, too.” - Sybil Kolon CONNECT WITH SYBIL: Email: [email protected] Shining the Light on Age-Wise Collective—Women Over 70 is proud to be part of the Age-Wise Collective, a group of women podcasters championing pro-aging voices. We highlight Beverley Glazer, a transition coach and strategic thinking partner whose podcast-AgingwithPurposeandPassion.com –showcases the raw, empowering stories of high-achieving women who have navigated the most extreme life transitions with unshakeable resilience.
June 10, 202631min