What You’ll Learn in this Episode about Celebrating Friendships in Midlife:
- Why it’s so beautiful to celebrate long-term friendships in midlife.
- How to communicate better with your friendship group.
- How to nurture your long-term relationships.
- Why it’s important to plan time with your friends intentionally.
- How a group’s collective memory becomes more important and appreciated as you age.
- Why friendships in midlife make your world a better place.
Welcome to another episode of the Women in the Middle podcast!
Celebrating long-term friendships in midlife is a beautiful thing. To help celebrate the 200th podcast milestone on the Women in the Middle Podcast, I’ve invited some of my personal long-term friends to the podcast this week.
As friends, we came together because of our jobs. We all worked in health education and health promotion and specifically had a role with tobacco use prevention. In fact, we affectionately refer to ourselves as the “Smokin’ Gals” but of course, while we don’t actually smoke, our enthusiasm to spend time together is on fire!
In today’s episode, you’ll get a glimpse of what makes our collective friendship tick. Meet Kate, Karen, Sandy, Barb, Anita and Robin as we talk about the importance of the longevity of our relationships and laugh and reminisce along the way. Here’s a bit about our group:
- Our friendship has spanned more than 30 years and has included many important milestones.
- There’s a 14 year age difference between the oldest (71) and the youngest (57).
- Five of the seven of us have now retired.
- Two have moved to different cities since they’ve retired.
- One is now a grandparent.
- Five have children.
We’ve laughed and cried together over the years and had many beautiful and fun experiences to treasure.
This episode is also dedicated to Mary Quartarone McElroy, one of the smokin’ gals who sadly, passed in 2014 after a long battle with cancer. We miss her terribly. Mary was an endless source of positivity and creativity. She cared deeply for her family, her friends and women’s causes. To further celebrate our long-term friendships, we’ve made donations to an organization in Toronto called Sistering in her memory.
Sistering is a multi-service agency for at-risk, socially isolated women and trans people in Toronto who are homeless or precariously housed. They’re doing great work.
As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”
I hope this episode will inspire you to celebrate the amazing friendships in your life with intention, creativity and love and as much as possible.
I also want to thank you for listening to the Women in the Middle Podcast! I love that you’re in my community and interested in navigating this midlife journey together! We need each other and it’s so amazing to know that we’re really not alone.
Please enjoy the interview!
Featured in this Episode
World No Tobacco Day: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-no-tobacco-day
Joan Lunden’s Episode on Women in the Middle: https://suzyrosenstein.com/ep-178-a-candid-humorous-look-at-aging-with-joan-lunden/
Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada: https://www.niagaraonthelake.com/
Tweed, Ontario, Canada: https://tweed.ca/
Maho Beach, St. Martin: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g3160017-d539433-Reviews-Maho_Beach-Maho_Sint_Maarten_St_Martin_St_Maarten.html
Talking Feather: https://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/what-is-a-talking-feather-or-stick-or-shell-or-stone/
Sistering: www.sistering.org
Sandra Shamus: http://www.sandrashamas.com/
Women in the Middle Mentor Series:
- Ep 50: The Unbelievable Value of a Mentor in Midlife with Brooke Castillo https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-50-the-unbelievable-value-of-a-mentor-in-midlife-interview-with-brooke-castillo/
- Ep 55: Why you Need a Midlife Mentor with Kendrick Shope https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-55-why-you-need-a-midlife-mentor-interview-with-kendrick-shope/
- Ep 59: Why a Midlife Mentor is a Priority with Jenny Shih https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-59-why-a-midlife-mentor-is-a-priority-interview-with-jenny-shih/
- Ep 66: The Awesome Power of Midlife Mentorship with Susan Hyatt https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-66-the-awesome-power-of-midlife-mentorship-interview-with-susan-hyatt/
- Ep 69: Be a Mentor, Have a Mentor, Change your Life with Tyson Sharpe https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-69-be-a-mentor-have-a-mentor-change-your-life-interview-with-tyson-sharpe/
Connect with Suzy:
New Midlife Training Video: Find out more about how to get unstuck and live your best life “in the middle” at www.midlifevideo.com
The Women in the Middle Academy (WITMA): WITMA is a six-month, online coaching program and community for midlife women who know they’re meant for more and are ready to find what’s missing, create a life and career on their own terms and become the happiest, most free and fun version of themselves! This can be you! Don’t waste another second feeling stuck. Head over to www.womeninthemiddleacademy.com, apply, and book your free, no-obligation “MOMENTUM” call and we’ll chat!
Apply for Private Coaching: Are you getting a lot from the concepts taught in the podcast? If you want more help, let’s talk. You can have in-depth personalized support! Apply for my personalized coaching program where we take all the things I teach and talk about here and apply them to YOU and your life. CLICK HERE to apply.
Grab your free guide, Top 10 Questions to Reimagine your Life after 50: https://suzyrosenstein.com/10questions/
- Join Suzy’s FREE Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WomenintheMiddlePodcastCommunity
- Buy Suzy’s book: 50 Ways to Celebrate Life after 50: Get unstuck, avoid regrets, and live your best life: www.50waystocelebrate.com and Amazon and other online booksellers
Email your feedback to: info@suzyrosenstein.com
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Updated: October 30, 2022
