Sunday Inspiration: You Already Do

 

Thankful Thursday: July 16, 2026

 

I Am Thankful For:

Cute new shoes

Fresh watermelon 

A rainy weekend

Starting my new job

Early mornings

Learning new things

Seeing a deer on the way home

My husband making dinner

More good news

A quiet place to de-stress

Sunshine after days of rain

Decompressing at the end of the day

You're Never Too Old to Start

 Today, I start what once seemed like a dream job.

I questioned myself at every step of this new opportunity. I feared that I was too old to start something new. I worried that I was woefully unqualified.  I wondered whether I should simply stay where I was comfortable instead of risking disappointment. But despite all those doubts, I took a chance on myself - and today, I officially begin my journey as a library assistant. 

To some people, it may seem like just a job. But for me, it's proof that dreams don't have an expiration date.

This experience has reminded me of something many midlife women need to hear: it's never too late to pursue the dream that's been living quietly in your heart. Your age does not determine what's possible. If anything, the years have given you wisdom, resilience, and strength that you didn't have before.

If you're a woman in midlife, chances are you've spent years putting other people first. The years fly by, and then we start to believe that we missed our chance. We tell ourselves we should have started ten years ago. We convince ourselves that we're no longer relevant.  We're not young enough. We don't have enough experience. It becomes easier and easier to believe that we don't have what it takes and that opportunity has passed us by.  So many of us spend years talking ourselves out of new possibilities because we think we're "too old."

But who decided that?

Every day, women prove that reinvention has no age limit. At 40, 50, 60 years old, and beyond, they are starting businesses, earning degrees, discovering creative talents, and pursuing passions they thought were out of reach. Not because it's easy. Not because the timing is perfect. But because they finally decide to stop letting age make their decisions.

This opportunity to work as a Library Assistant didn't come into my life when I expected it to. It arrived after years of self-doubt, second-guessing, and wondering whether I was capable of pursuing something new. And yet, here I am. Because I pushed through all the doubt and anxiety and took a chance on myself. 

I believe if someone went back 40 or 50 years and told little me that one day many years in the future she would be working in a library, she would be tickled pink by the idea.  And I also believe that future me will thank me for taking the chance and filling out that job application even as the voices in my head whispered that I was too old and unqualified.

The woman you've always wanted to be is still waiting for you. Take the chance.  Believe in yourself.  Pursue the dream. 

I'm living proof that it's not too late to start a new chapter. 

Your story isn't over.  It's just one decision away from getting interesting.

Sunday Inspiration: Worry

 

Thankful Thursday: July 9, 2026

 

I Am Thankful For:

Little wet pawprints on the pavement

An afternoon with my daughter

Phone calls

A 4th of July hot dog

Meds to help my nervous pup through the fireworks

My husband home after a week away

Good mornings

A start date for my new job

A steak salad

Slightly cooler temperatures

Shopping for work clothes

A cute new coffee mug

Sunday Inspiration: Regrets

 

Thankful Thursday: July 2, 2026

 

I Am Thankful For:

Strawberries

My grandson making me laugh

Trying something new

Safe travels

A productive morning

Watching my dog try to catch June beetles

Rain during a hot afternoon

Chicken salad

Fireflies

That first morning cup of tea

Air conditioning

Curling up with a good book at the end of the day

The smell of fresh basil

Savoring July: Little Ways to Make the Most of Summer

July just has a happy feeling, doesn’t it? It's the heart of summertime when the days are longer, the sun is warmer, and there’s something about this time of year that makes you want to soak it all in. 

If you’re looking for fun ways to do just that, you’re in the right place! I’ve rounded up a mix of easy, feel-good ideas to help you enjoy July.  Let’s make this month one to really savor!

Check in with your goals or intentions for 2026. We’re halfway through the year. Now is a good time to reflect on how things are going and reevaluate if needed.

Visit your local ice cream shop for a cooling treat in honor of National Ice Cream Month.

Or, make ice cream floats. Get some vanilla ice cream, top it off with your favorite soda, and enjoy with a straw. Root beer and orange soda are popular choices, but feel free to get creative!

It's also National Watermelon Month. So, enjoy some fresh watermelon!

In fact, July is a big month for fresh fruit, especially blueberries. It's National Blueberry Month.  In addition to that, July 9th is National Blueberry Day, July 10th is Pick Blueberries Day, and July 11th is National Blueberry Muffins Day. Load up on those antioxidants and eat some blueberries!

Have a Sunrise Picnic. Wake up before dawn and take your morning coffee and a pastry outside to watch the sunrise and listen to the birds singing their morning songs 

Embrace Your Geekness on July 13th (Embrace Your Geekness Day). Settle in for a binge-watch of your favorite movie or cult-classic TV series. Add a new piece to your favorite collectibles. Re-read that book or graphic novel.  Dust off your favorite tabletop or card game. 

Go to an outdoor concert.  Yes, tickets for music festivals and concerts can be extremely expensive, but many communities offer free concerts in the local park. 

Spend a day at the zoo or aquarium. Visiting a zoo always makes me feel like a kid again. I get so excited about seeing the big cats and giraffes. When it's too hot or rainy, heading inside to the aquarium can be a fun way to spend a summer afternoon.

July 15th is National Give Something Away Day. Do some decluttering and give away some of your unused things to someone who needs or will use them.

Visit a National Park. Some of the most beautiful sites in the US are found in our national parks.  With 63 national parks located in 30 states, there's a good chance there's one within driving distance.  There are also over 400 monuments, historical sites, and battlefields overseen by the National Park Service.

Sit around a campfire.  There's just something soothing to the soul about sitting under the stars and watching the dancing flames on a summer evening. Bonus points if you roast some marshmallows while you're at it.

Judge a book by its cover. Buy a book, or pick one up at your local library, just because you love the cover. 

As you work your way through July, don’t forget that it’s the small, everyday moments that really make the season special. Whether it’s enjoying a simple summertime treat, getting outside to enjoy the sunrise, or retreating inside with a movie to escape the heat, find your own ways to make the most of July. 

However you choose to spend it, I hope this month brings you a little more sunshine, a little more laughter, and plenty of moments that make you smile long after July is gone.

Sunday Inspiration: Not Perfect

Thankful Thursday: June 25, 2026

 

I Am Thankful For:

Going somewhere new

Sunlight making the water sparkle

Spending time away with my husband

Sunsets on the lake

Mimosa tree flowers floating on the water

Campfires

The fathers in my life

A perfect weather day

A delicious new chicken salad

Sunshine and a breeze

Crackers and nut butter

Sunday Inspiration: A Rainbow

Thankful Thursday: June 18, 2026

 

I Am Thankful For:

When my daughter stops by

Thunderstorms

Mornings

Making plans for a semi-spontaneous getaway

A trip to the Asian market

Being together

Homemade sausage rolls

Slightly cooler temperatures

Less humidity

Birds singing

Fluffy white clouds in a Carolina blue sky

Geraniums

Double Standards

There’s a strong double standard in how we talk about aging. Men are often allowed to grow older in whatever way they choose, while women face constant judgment. This imbalance influences our careers, our confidence, and how we, as women, see ourselves as we move toward and through this stage of life. 

Let's be honest... when Bruce Springsteen appears onstage performing just as he has for the past several decades, you don't see articles about how he's trying too hard or desperately clinging to his lost youth.  

When Lenny Kravitz regularly dresses in chest and/or stomach baring tops and skintight leather pants, he doesn't appear in online articles about how he needs to dress more age appropriate. 

When male celebrities like George Clooney embrace their gray hair they're considered a "silver fox", not shamed for letting themselves go.

You don’t see headlines questioning their relevance or suggesting they step aside for someone younger. Instead, they’re praised for staying vibrant and confident. But when women do the same thing suddenly that confidence and vitality is reframed as desperation and denial. 

This not-so-subtle messaging affects how we perceive other women; but more importantly - how we see ourselves! It can inhibit us from fully embracing the experience of getting older.  It can leave us constantly questioning ourselves and how we choose to age.

I'm here to tell you that we don't have to make ourselves smaller or fade into the background. We don't have to age in a certain way to meet anyone else's expectations. We can, and should, experience this stage of life to the fullest. On our own terms, out loud, and without judgment.