Change

Our dog Magnificent had a rough go of it after the birth of our son. This whiny and smelly new creature—whom we endearingly call Shep—was interesting to him at first, and Magnificent steadfastly tended to his every cry and kept close guard whenever anyone new ventured near him.

I've been Cocooning as of late, still working and experiencing two of my adult childrens' weddings (all in the last 12 weeks) but setting tighter boundaries so I could fully feel the joy without distraction. I still feel the chaos and change in and around me but have placed myself in a protective virtual shell by reducing my digital connections, getting enough rest, and keeping my head clear.

Recently I had the opportunity to spend a week in Hawaii on our major family trip. While staying in a hotel on Waikiki Beach, we witnessed an explosive fire from one block away. It was abrupt and quick, with thick, velvety black smoke covering the sky and falling onto the aqua blue water. (You can see my tweet with video here.)

A couple months ago, I wrote a blog post highlighting a new column in the New York Times called "It’s Never Too Late" and I encouraged our Wisdom Well readers to share some of their stories about how you made substantive changes in the second half of your adult life. I also welcomed you to send me your stories.

Your career will likely last fifty years or more. That’s a life sentence without much punctuation. Who knows, your mid-50s could even be your mid-career?

Suzanne Watkins is a two-time MEA alum who credits her experience in Baja as the catalyst for her next chapter: becoming an international flight attendant at age 60. Here’s her story:

I turned 60 this year. I knew that milestone was coming. I was ready for it. I was not ready for all the other transitions 2021 would bring.

It was about five years ago I got a pang in my heart to do something different in my career, but stepping away from 20+ years of corporate life is easier said than done. I had spent decades building my reputation as a trusted hotel executive, holding almost every position imaginable in the industry from Front Desk Supervisor to Assistant Rooms Operations Manager to Housekeeping Supervisor.

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? For me, it’s usually a snappy tune with singable lyrics —a song that holds meaning in some way. But it gets stuck on repeat, and the more I try to shut it down, the more stubbornly it plays over and over, forcing me to listen.

Lately I’ve been wondering what it means to be at this stage of the pandemic? Are we in the middle, a bit past it, or leaving it behind? Or are we just coming to terms with the fact that Covid and its cousins are here to stay?