Part of yourself is left behind in the marriage that no longer exists. You are no longer sure which parts of you remain and how to reconnect with parts of your personality that you may have left dormant when being a partner to your spouse became a priority in your life.

Getting old isn’t for sissies is a saying that my mom and dad had framed on the wall in their home. When I was young it was a just a joke we laughed about. But now at age 75 I have come to know the true meaning of that phrase as I see it from my parents point of view.

No matter how bad things are that too shall pass and of course that means that the flip side is also true; the good times may not last forever. Just like an adventure ride, there are moments in life that make you hold your breath with fear, tingle with anticipation, sigh with relief and scream with joy.

There needs to be a shift, a new awakening around the word “Old”. There needs to be space around our concept of old and this space needs to be filled with new more current meanings created by people that are living a “New Old” where they continue to grow and express their self-worth.

Refuse to be influenced! That is not easy to do. We are influenced from the moment we are born. We are influenced by our parents who love us and try to protect and teach us what we need to know to live a good life.

So here is the big question. Do you feel the need to cover your arms because you really think there is something wrong with them or because you are afraid others will find fault with them?