Fabulous 40's

Women in my age group are bombarded with a lot of issues, from their health to marriage problems, job dissatisfaction to empty nest. Our biological clocks are ticking away, we may be experiencing peri menopausal symptoms, or have had hysterectomies. Our children are grown or nearly so, or maybe we don't have children and want them.

We may feel better than we ever have in our lives, or we may just feel old and tired.

A lot of us for years have spent the majority of our lives taking care of others that we forgot how to take care of ourselves. We have put our dreams aside to take care of husbands and children.

The thing is many of us in our 40's and beyond end up by ourselves, our children grow up, our husband's leave or sadly pass away, and then what? We have this huge future looming in front of us, we are stuck in dead end jobs, making little money and just struggling to survive. We have no personal satisfaction in achievements, so many of us are reaching for our dreams.

School, starting our own businesses, volunteering, taking care of ourselves, finding new social activities, new interests, hobbies, dating, and on and on.

We are the women you see every day, we are the cashiers, the sales clerks, the waitresses. We work in plants, warehouses or knitting mills. We are normal every day people, working hard to make a living.

We work to live, we don't live to work. We didn't have time or money or fancy degrees and a big career with a fancy job title. Our careers were our husbands and children. We went into the workforce to help make ends meet because in this day and age, one income just doesn't cut it.

But we end up alone, with one income, and a job that barely pays the bills. We have little or no retirement, so we hope for the best and hope that social security will still be there when we retire.

But the thing is, we are talented, smart and beautiful, and we are fabulous!

If someone would just see the potential, but no, we get passed up for jobs to younger people.

There are programs to help people of all kinds, of different economic groups, the poorest of the poor, minorities, children, battered women, the homeless, yet here we are, this group of women left on their own.

When my husband and I separated, I looked and looked even for a local support group for a displaced wife in my position.

So what are our choices?

Ok, get married again. BAH! Only a woman in my age group would know how hard it is to find a decent man in our age group. Believe me I look, and I don't see too many men with potential to even date.

Seriously, why is it that we women are expected to be healthy, take care of ourselves and men aren't?

I can deal with baldness, but a 30 pound beer gut is a turn off. Paleaaaaaaase!!

Ok, so I digress here.

Options...what are our options?

Some may think, I can't do anything but what I have been doing, my life is half over.

I SAY...my life has just begun!

I am free to achieve what I want to achieve...I can live the rest of my life to the fullest! I have dreams and I won't give up!

A woman once said, 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.' She knew what she was talking about, her name was Eleanor Roosevelt.

I believe in my dreams.

Do you?

It starts with One

I am starting this blog in favor of a demographic of people that seem to be lost in the cracks.

White women in their 40's and above, who are separated, divorced, or widowed, who have children of any age, who work hard, pay their taxes, yet are considered low income and who are striving to better themselves and the lives of their families.

Today I wrote to the President, I don't know if it will do much good, but it starts with one voice.

One voice to speak up for those of us who have dreams and are watching our dreams die. For those of us who want an education but can't get help. For those of us who want job training but get passed by.

It starts with one.

One voice to be heard.

I want to be heard, how about you?