Gransnet?

Indeed. It resonates with wisdom, experience, understanding and compassion.

C compassion
R reason
O objective
N neighbourly
E experience
S serendipitous

Perhaps

Was it Gloria Steinem who, when told she looked 'good for her age' (dreadful expression), famously said 'this is what 50 looks like'?

Well perhaps this is what 50/ 60/ 70/ whatever feels like. We just haven't been here before

nightowl I think you and anno may well be the most perceptive of all of us.

Going back to kitty's question about wondering how one 'became the grown-up', no, I haven't suddenly wondered that. I noticed I was growing up/becoming more mature/responsible in my outlook as it happened, and now I can see that two of my daughters are grown-up too – impressively so, as it happens.

I think it happens gradually, like most growing.

Yes, I have seen it with my own daughter, Bags. You just can't watch yourself in that way, so I suppose you have to think back and guess.

I would vote for 'cronesnet' (like it MiceElf) but does that exclude the grandfathers?

No, the men are there as equal partners. But we need a name. Suggestions please.

I suppose they could be The Boy, The Father and The Sage.

Although 'une sage dame' is exclusive to us.

absent I am and at your words of praise, and at being placed in the illustrious company of anno as well. [Bowing] emoticon!

However I cannot claim any credit for the words I posted, I was simply quoting one of the greats

As a MIL I would like to be a 'belle mere'
Some hope! They're not even married!

Mais tu es une tres belle mere! (Sorry, my laptop doesn't do accents, or as the kids at school used to say "dashes")

Nor mine! Merci, ma cherie!

Thanks absent. I had to scroll back a long way to find out what on earth I had said! nightowl - the Gloria Steinem quote and your gloss on it say what I meant. Could I change my forum name to belle mere? I wish I had thought of that - so much less austere than mother-in-law.

"j07 Only if they can compartmentalise to the point of psychosis."

Clever sounding talk absent, but total claptrap.

NO! Anno I claim that! (If they ever tie the knot)

I love how posters twist things and read whatever they want, ignore what is written and then argue about it. Let it be known as a 60 year old I am a mature woman and happy to be at this stage of my life. I also have a love of life and getting old will never take that away. I don't wish and will not let myself become a crabby, contrary old woman who nit picks posts because they can. End of conversation.

Faye

Faye It's almost humourous isn't it? I wouldn't have believed the mindsets encountered on here, must be a great deal missing in people lives that they need to resort to such childish point scoring. So agree with you. It's funny how the whole tone of Gransnet changed in January.

I don't think I'm a grown-up. To me, that implies a state of stasis. I hope I'll continue to grow in all sorts of ways as I become older. So far I seem to be maturing out well. Not always in a wise and knowledgeable way, but I am seeing more, and hearing more, and accepting more, and understanding more of what I see around me.

On the contrary Sel, childish point scoring is not at the heart of this thread or even on the periphery. It is about how we perceive old age and ourselves in old age. There are those, such as Faye in her last post, who seem to regard old age as a time when people become crabby, contrary and nit picking. Understandably, these are not characteristics she wishes to acquire so she describes herself as feeling younger than she is. (I think she said 17.) There are others, such as Bags, who just look at life as a continuum and rejoice in each stage, refusing to accept a pejorative image of older women imposed by others. There are also other viewpoints. I think it's very interesting, but, as always, you can opt out of reading any threads that you find boring.

Did Sel say anything about being bored?

I hope people don't start 'opting out' instead of staying and making interesting comments.

absent you are choosing to twist what I have posted. Why would you do that?

Faye...Your Friday post makes total sense to me...at the grand old age of 71. Thanks for some down-to-earth common sense.

Thank you soop.