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Woman’s honest article about ageing a hit with Baby Boomers

Jan 14, 2019

The New York Times has published an inspiring opinion piece about the pros of growing older. Source: Getty (Stock image used)

It’s not every day that life as an older member of society is painted in such a positive light, but a recent opinion piece published in the New York Times has inspired Baby Boomers around the world.

Over-60s are used to being sold products that promise to make them feel and look young, being told they’re too old to do certain things or being blamed for every little issue faced by younger generations, but clinical psychologist Mary Pipher’s piece is about all the things she loves about being an older woman. In the article, titled The Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s, Pipher explains that she and her friends don’t fit the usual stereotypes of women their age and talks about how ageism leaves many feeling invisible and devalued.

More importantly, she details how older women have had decades to develop resilience and that happiness is a skill and a choice. With that knowledge, she says many Boomers know exactly how to create a good day for themselves and to make the most of what life has to offer.

“There is an amazing calculus in old age,” she writes. “As much is taken away, we find more to love and appreciate. We experience bliss on a regular basis.”

She talks about how most older people know how to manage their expectations — especially from children who aren’t necessarily waiting for opinions from their Boomer parents. She likens the joys and sorrows of life to salt and water from the ocean, noting that the small things like a good book, a homemade meal or a simple call from a friend is enough to brighten anyone’s day.

With old age, she continues, people tend to be kinder to themselves, while they’re also more honest and authentic.

“Our people-pleasing selves soften their voices and our true selves speak more loudly and more often,” Pipher notes. “We don’t need to pretend to ourselves and others that we don’t have needs.”

She explains the joy of friendships and relationships that have spanned more than 50 years and that living longer gives people a chance to meet their great-grandchildren, as her own great-grandmother got to do. While living longer does mean experiencing tragedy such as death and loss, it also means experiencing bliss and according to Pipher, this is all part of the “miracle” and “privilege” of being alive.

The article has seen a number of responses from other Baby Boomers who have been inspired by what they read. While not all agree completely with everything Pipher wrote, most see part of their own joys highlighted in her piece.

One person’s comment reads: “I’m a 70-year-old male who just lost the love of his life through brain cancer. I found this article, though directed at women in their 70s, tremendously comforting. It will take some time to go through the grieving, but I hope to learn that happiness is a skill and a choice’ even without her in my life.”

Another’s adds: “I thought I’d hate this piece but found myself cheering as I read. I’m 76 and perfectly happy except for the aches and pains of old age. I don’t mind calling myself old because I think of reaching this age as a reward or, as Dr. Pipher writes, a miracle and a privilege.”