How to put this graciously. There is a huge difference between women over 40 and women over 50 and probably a huge difference between women over 50 and women over 60 and on it goes. This is the first time in, shall I say 100's of years where women enmass have lived this long (men too probably but we're discussing women here). I mean this is the first time in 70 years in my family of origin that 3 generations of females have been alive at the same time!

As a society we are living longer and looking and feeling younger than our ancestors, immediate and further back. I am generalizing quite a lot here but I know my mother and grandmother were much older than me at 50, due to hardships of prairie life and restrictions of the day.

My 50's have been so different than I remember my 40's being. I was just finishing raising up young people, experiencing empty nest. These past years have been really soul searching and focusing on anything left undone. I would never have had the time in my forties to be this reflective.

So, I have joined the group over 40 but feel something is missing. Nothing anyone did intentionally but I am experiencing many different things a 40 year old might just roll their eyes at. Trying not to be too sensitive about it here but it would be nice to be validated somehow.