Kimberly Montgomery
Welcome to Part 2 of “What She Said” –Best Over 50 Quotes— Real quotes, from real women, just like you. To read part 1, click here!
“You know you live the leisure lifestyle when your significant other gives you a wet suit instead of flowers. Nothing says LOVE like a brand-new wet suit.” Age 55, California
“Midlife is so much easier—I would never want to “relive my youth.” Now I don’t feel the pressure to be perfect either with my outward appearance or my actions! I’m more comfortable as myself and knowing mistakes are part of the journey!” Age 50, Colorado
“With the kids gone and all this free time, I feel like a teenager again. It’s sooo cool!” Age 58, Nevada
“I never expected to be a caretaker of my spouse at such a young age. As a matter of fact, I had told him when we were first dating that I had no interest in taking care of someone who didn’t take care of himself. Why should I have to take care of him when he didn’t bother?! Now here I am, trying to find a way through this mess.” Age 56, California
And as for dieting to stay uber-thin and perennially perfect? Screw it. I’m having a brownie.” Age 58, Oregon
“It used to cause arguments. I only had to lean in the direction of my bedside cupboard for my husband to start twitching. So I just do it when I am alone now. Sometimes I lay in bed for hours, all alone playing with my toy. But that is the joy of being a crazy ‘old lady’. I can just hear my kids when they come to clean out the house after we are gone – ‘WTF has mother got a Bop-It Extreme in the beside cupboard?’ “ Age 59, UK
“I told my kids I won’t babysit. I want to spend my time traveling the world.” Age 59, Colorado
“I just earned my Nile badge on FitBit. That means I’ve walked 4,132 miles since getting my Fitbit two years ago. That’s about 8 million steps! When people ask, why do I walk so much my answer is always the same: Because I can. I am so grateful, despite ugly bunions, that I can walk pain-free. I don’t take this for granted. I know that I am fortunate at age 64 to not have any medical issues. I know this can change on a dime. That’s why I appreciate every single walk I take. It is a true gift. When I was young my mother used to say, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” I didn’t know she was quoting Mahatma Gandi. I didn’t get it as a kid but today, I’m a believer.” Age 64, Minnesota
“What’s the age cut-off to be a Buckle Bunny*?” Age 58, Nevada *Rodeo Groupie
“If I’ve learned anything in my years lived fully, it is to speak up — in the workplace, in the bedroom, in the world. No one knows what you want until you tell them in clear and concise terms: “Keep touching that spot. More gently. Don’t stop.” Age 50, Wisconsin
“Sometimes, it can be a real drag. My mother in law has made her own situation worse through her own stubbornness and overspending. Now, she is running out of money. If she has made her bed and is now sleeping in it, she has pulled me and other siblings and their spouses in right in next to her. And I resent it deeply.” Age 62, New York
“One of my favorite quotes is ‘At 30, you have the face God gave you. At 50, you have face you deserve.’ Our midlife face is our personal billboard, advertising years of too much wine, too little exercise, too many late nights and not enough sleep. How do we handle that? The beauty of middle age is that there’s no right or wrong in our choice. Botox vs. ‘natural aging’? Expensive skin care or soap and water? We get to choose, and both answers are correct.” Age 58, Oregon
“Sometimes, I get so lost in writing that I forget everything else. I come to my senses to find I’ve forgotten to do something I promised I’d do at a certain time.” Age 73, England
“I don’t let myself be sucked into the quicksand of my disappointments and failures or into others’ emotions or complaints. I still care for and help others, but not at the price of darkness in my soul. Leaves me with far less drama, more time and energy for fun, family, friends, and the work that fulfills me. The next 30+ years have more promise in them than my first 62 years did.” Age 62, Upstate New York
“Ah, the cultural divide. I’m a middle class British woman from the South of England. The lip is stiff and the reserve is strong!” Age 49, London
“At age 49 I discovered the new love of my life who introduced me to windsurfing and stand-up paddling. At age 50 I obtained my master’s degree. At age 51, I became an adjunct university lecturer. At age 55, I retired from 30+ years as a recreation and leisure practitioner.” Age 55, California
“I have survived the modern world’s inventions to make me hairless and smooth, and I’ve had enough. No more waxing, Botox injections, chemical peels, electrolysis, or laser crap. I am a fifty-year-old woman with random rogue hairs and wrinkles. Hear me roar.” Age 50, Wisconsin
“I’m learning that change doesn’t automatically come with age. I still fix car problems by turning the radio up. I spent so many decades wondering when I’d start making more responsible, grown up decisions. What I’ve learned is, rather than filling an unrealistic role as an adult, accepting myself is so much more fun.” Age 52, Cincinnati
“I embrace the wisdom that comes with age–in fact, I embrace all facets of aging without complaint– because so many have been denied the privilege.” Age 64, California
“One of the best things about getting older is letting go of the need to please or impress other people at the expense of your own wellbeing. It’s kind of the emotional equivalent of f***-you money—having the psychic wherewithal to do and say what you want.” Age 62, Maine
“I had to get out of my 20 year marriage. I just couldn’t dumb-down enough to stay” Age 58, California
“The older I get the more I rediscover how life-affirming it is to misbehave. Reconnecting with the rebelliousness of youth and adding the wisdom that can only come from decades of life experience can yield some profoundly satisfying results. At this point in your life if you aren’t your own role model you’re doing it wrong.” Age 54, Tennessee
“My philosophy has always been everything in moderation. Coffee in the morning, but not enough to give me the jitters. Exercise enough to feel the burn, but not the pain. A martini and a half at sunset to experience that peaceful, easy feeling, but not the hangover. A few orgasms a week, with or without my husband. That being said, there is no moderation in spending time with my girlfriends. And absolutely no cap on laughter. Because I believe when the world is falling apart, we’re just one laugh away from putting it together again.” Age 67, California (but 35 inside)
“Can men in their 70’s still do it?” Age 58, Nevada
Now go out and have an awesome day!
P.S. If you missed it, here’s Vol. 1.