This is my favorite one yet. I’m 35 and feeling stuck lately. Not sure what’s next for me, but it was reassuring to read about these lovely women who started new ventures later in life. My husband turned 40 and decided to go back to school to apply to become a veterinarian. It’s never too late to pursue something new.
Thank you for sharing this. As someone who started their motherhood journey at an "advanced maternal age," I very much needed this reminder. I love the party-phrasing, but a pitch for the "late bloomer" term - while it taken a negative connotation in our modern culture, within a species of flowering plants, certain varieties will bloom earlier and later, which helps prolong the generosity of the season for beauty, pollen, nectar, and food.
Preaching to my soul per usual. Also, never forget Morgan Freeman!! whose breakout role at 50 also scored him an academy award nom! Where exactly would the world be without his freckles and narration?
Love this (per usual) — the phrase you use is just right and I’m going to keep it in mind next time I’m hard on myself about my “progress” in life. In the same vein of arriving late to the party, when that inner critic chimes in and tries to tell me I’m falling behind, I always ask myself, “says who?” — as in, whose opinion am I taking into account when scrutinizing my life’s timeline? Often times, I’ll find someone else’s voice disguised as my inner critic, telling me it’s time for something, the clock is ticking. Time to get married, time to have kids, time to buy a house, time to [fill in the blank]. While I’ve listened to that voice many times and don’t regret it, I’m much more cognizant of it now and plan to think about my arrival time more carefully ;)
Hi Caroline, I came across this and have inspired to write something similar to this. I'm 23 and is lost AF and felt like I'm living through the motion - grateful to have found your article at the right time. Life's not a race, it's a party. I'll try to remind myself over and over again. Thank you<3 (PS will try to tag you if I wrote something inspired by this article). All the love!
I left a fledgling career in the newspaper industry to be an at-home mom more than 12 years ago. I’ve always wanted to write, and have continued to do so in fits and starts over these past years, but I also discovered an aptitude and passion I did not expect: nursing.
Because I left my job, I was available to help give my mother-in-law end of life care—and I made a one-episode podcast about her in a grad class before podcasts were a thing; not only was the assignment important for reflection, it gave me an excuse to take a recorder to some of her chemo sessions. I forever have her telling her story in her own voice.
I’ve been taking the science prerecs I didn’t need for my BA, and in a year and a half, when my youngest goes to kindergarten, I’ll be going to nursing school. By the time I graduate, I’ll be 40.
My 20s and even early 30s were fraught with a need to discover meaning for myself. I got that, and more. I wasn’t an irresponsible 20something by any means, but you can’t settle into your life until you’ve lived it as an adult for awhile.
I LOVE this list of amazing elders who’ve come before. Strengthens my resolve and also my belief that none of my life has been “wasted.”
Fuck yes for activating, discovering and rediscovering your unique magic at any age, exactly as it wants to unfold at that point in time! Thanks for this post.
Thank you for another wonderful piece! I too have looked at people doing more incredible stuff in their twenties than I ever could have done, which at times has left me slightly regretful. But at the same time I don't really feel bad, because I'm happy with what I did accomplish, and there's so much more to come! It's such a limited way of thinking.
Have a great week, and sending many well wishes for your dog.
Thank you so much for this letter. It's been comforting, warm, and so, so true. Sadly, we need to be reminded about this more often than it should be necessary.
I've finished Monday reading this (it's Monday night here in Spain), and it's been the perfect end to the first day of the week. Now I'm facing the rest of the week in a completely different way.
Message I received all last week was a rose blooms in its perfect time. You can’t rush the bloom! I wonder if this is a product of the digital age more than anything and our instant culture—everything being one click away. And I’d argue that older millennials—with growing up in between—have had to push against this programming the most. Also can’t discount societies obsession with milestones. They forget to tell us: it’s all a lie.
Loved this!!! Reminds me of when I told someone “I feel like I missed the boat.” And she said, “there is no boat.” I return to that comment often. Thank you so much for writing!
By far my favourite newsletters come from Caroline. "The next time you find yourself confronted with some version of a “12 Under 12” list, repeat after me: It isn’t a race. It’s a party. Arrive whenever you want." This reminder will be put to use.
I also encourage myself that Brene Brown didn't' graduate from her undergrad until she was 29. We need to stop being obsessed with how behind we are and ask what we can give. Thank you Caroline!
This is my favorite one yet. I’m 35 and feeling stuck lately. Not sure what’s next for me, but it was reassuring to read about these lovely women who started new ventures later in life. My husband turned 40 and decided to go back to school to apply to become a veterinarian. It’s never too late to pursue something new.
Thank you, Caroline. Debuts can happen at any age. Isn't that exciting?
Thank you for sharing this. As someone who started their motherhood journey at an "advanced maternal age," I very much needed this reminder. I love the party-phrasing, but a pitch for the "late bloomer" term - while it taken a negative connotation in our modern culture, within a species of flowering plants, certain varieties will bloom earlier and later, which helps prolong the generosity of the season for beauty, pollen, nectar, and food.
Preaching to my soul per usual. Also, never forget Morgan Freeman!! whose breakout role at 50 also scored him an academy award nom! Where exactly would the world be without his freckles and narration?
Love this (per usual) — the phrase you use is just right and I’m going to keep it in mind next time I’m hard on myself about my “progress” in life. In the same vein of arriving late to the party, when that inner critic chimes in and tries to tell me I’m falling behind, I always ask myself, “says who?” — as in, whose opinion am I taking into account when scrutinizing my life’s timeline? Often times, I’ll find someone else’s voice disguised as my inner critic, telling me it’s time for something, the clock is ticking. Time to get married, time to have kids, time to buy a house, time to [fill in the blank]. While I’ve listened to that voice many times and don’t regret it, I’m much more cognizant of it now and plan to think about my arrival time more carefully ;)
This is majestic
Hi Caroline, I came across this and have inspired to write something similar to this. I'm 23 and is lost AF and felt like I'm living through the motion - grateful to have found your article at the right time. Life's not a race, it's a party. I'll try to remind myself over and over again. Thank you<3 (PS will try to tag you if I wrote something inspired by this article). All the love!
I left a fledgling career in the newspaper industry to be an at-home mom more than 12 years ago. I’ve always wanted to write, and have continued to do so in fits and starts over these past years, but I also discovered an aptitude and passion I did not expect: nursing.
Because I left my job, I was available to help give my mother-in-law end of life care—and I made a one-episode podcast about her in a grad class before podcasts were a thing; not only was the assignment important for reflection, it gave me an excuse to take a recorder to some of her chemo sessions. I forever have her telling her story in her own voice.
I’ve been taking the science prerecs I didn’t need for my BA, and in a year and a half, when my youngest goes to kindergarten, I’ll be going to nursing school. By the time I graduate, I’ll be 40.
My 20s and even early 30s were fraught with a need to discover meaning for myself. I got that, and more. I wasn’t an irresponsible 20something by any means, but you can’t settle into your life until you’ve lived it as an adult for awhile.
I LOVE this list of amazing elders who’ve come before. Strengthens my resolve and also my belief that none of my life has been “wasted.”
Just, bravo, Caroline. That's all I can say because I'm still digesting your precious words.
Fuck yes for activating, discovering and rediscovering your unique magic at any age, exactly as it wants to unfold at that point in time! Thanks for this post.
Thank you so much for this article, it really hit a tender place. And it makes me feel seen, encouraged and definitely not alone.
And the oracle was quite at the right moment for me.
Thanks for your beautiful thoughtful words, as always, but specially for those.
Thank you for another wonderful piece! I too have looked at people doing more incredible stuff in their twenties than I ever could have done, which at times has left me slightly regretful. But at the same time I don't really feel bad, because I'm happy with what I did accomplish, and there's so much more to come! It's such a limited way of thinking.
Have a great week, and sending many well wishes for your dog.
Thank you so much for this letter. It's been comforting, warm, and so, so true. Sadly, we need to be reminded about this more often than it should be necessary.
I've finished Monday reading this (it's Monday night here in Spain), and it's been the perfect end to the first day of the week. Now I'm facing the rest of the week in a completely different way.
Thanks again!
Message I received all last week was a rose blooms in its perfect time. You can’t rush the bloom! I wonder if this is a product of the digital age more than anything and our instant culture—everything being one click away. And I’d argue that older millennials—with growing up in between—have had to push against this programming the most. Also can’t discount societies obsession with milestones. They forget to tell us: it’s all a lie.
Loved this!!! Reminds me of when I told someone “I feel like I missed the boat.” And she said, “there is no boat.” I return to that comment often. Thank you so much for writing!
By far my favourite newsletters come from Caroline. "The next time you find yourself confronted with some version of a “12 Under 12” list, repeat after me: It isn’t a race. It’s a party. Arrive whenever you want." This reminder will be put to use.
I also encourage myself that Brene Brown didn't' graduate from her undergrad until she was 29. We need to stop being obsessed with how behind we are and ask what we can give. Thank you Caroline!