Lisa, Age 47 I never went looking for skateboarding, but at 45 years old, it managed to find me anyway. My love of skateboarding began as a request from my 12-year-old daughter. One that I was determined to at least try to fulfill. I’m not entirely sure why I decided…

Erin Browning, Age 43 Erin is writer and artist working in mixed media. She owns a business treating clients with myofunctional disorders & recently put roots in Melrose, MA following a life rearranging. …

Kathy, 48 In October 2020, like many others, I was feeling run down. I was peri-menopausal, tired, fatigued, depressed, and not feeling myself. I was constantly in motion, walking my dogs, teaching yoga, taking water aerobic classes, and doing my best to eat healthy while continually trying to lose weight…

Erika, 46 My life has never been cut and dry. I always felt like I was doing things out of order; I came to this conclusion when I turned 40 and realized that I always felt out of place. I finally came to terms with the fact that something had…

Alison, 46 In late September, the Little Debbie Ironman Chattanooga attracted elite and not-so-elite athletes to a 144.6-mile rolling hill race course in Tennessee. Like every other full Ironman, the race consisted of a 2.4-mile swim, a 116-mile bike course (not a bike ride…), and a 26.2-mile run (or a…

Miriam, 43 I wake up as suddenly as if someone has yelled into my ear. For a moment, I’m disoriented, befuddled with sleep, trying to get my bearings. It’s still dark outside, and everything is quiet. What woke me? Then I become aware of the warm stickiness. Shit. I switch…

Francesca, Age 53 I didn’t come out, I came in. Into myself and the truth that called me. Into a new beginning that felt familiar. Into midlife as a queer woman. I was born in a small town on the south coast of England, miles away from any sense of…

Melissa, Age 49 I started this year preparing for the next. Next year would be my 50th birthday, and I was already thinking about how I would spend it. Did I need to go to a part of the world I hadn’t been to before? Did I need a fruity…

Raquel, Age 39 I’m almost 40 and still here. What’s so big about that, right? Well, at age 20, I didn’t think I’d still be here, for one. And now that I’m one year away from the big 4–0, I can tell you; it’s not scary to think about. …