I'm very lucky that my husband is a true partner in child-rearing. If I get home late, he gets home early or vice-versa. I travel more, and he's able to spell me when I'm gone.
To put it bluntly, I feel relevant and valuable, and I am struggling to understand why, when women reach age 65, they encounter an invisible barrier of perception that says it's time to walk away. Shouldn't we have a choice in the matter? Shouldn't our experience and energy be worth more?
In the American office lexicon, 'aging' - and its close cousin 'old' - are inconsistent modifiers. While older women are often labeled as 'tired' and 'out of touch,' aging men get to be 'distinguished' and 'seasoned.'
As a working woman at the height of my career, I know age has only enhanced my professional and personal abilities. It has brought a sense of calm to the drive for success.
The younger me was motivated by a need to please others, by the pressure to climb the corporate ladder and make money, and by a fear of failure - all of which became more and more intense as I navigated the competitive landscape.