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Earlier this summer, Barbara C. Phillips, NP, of Aberdeen, Wash., turned 50. Beyond the predictable black balloons, over-the-hill jokes and gag gifts that inevitably accompany the milestone, Phillips sees something more in the age: a journey worth celebrating. In the coming weeks, that's exactly what she and hundreds of women like her will do. They will kick up their feet, unite in spirit and rejoice in recognition of what Phillips deems "International OlderWiserWomen's Day."
Gatherings and events such as potluck brunches and educational teleseminars to celebrate aging and womanhood will take place in various communities and online at www.olderwiserwomen.com, says Phillips. She came up with the idea several months ago.
"I thought, 'Why not have a day to celebrate older women? We certainly don't do enough of that in this society,'" she says. "But as I brainstormed different ways to celebrate, it became clear that we could not do it all in 1 day. So the celebration will actually take place from mid-August to mid-September."
Retiring Old Stereotypes
Even before they turn 40, women are subjected to negative attitudes and stereotypes about their age and the years ahead.
But, as Phillips sees it, "aging is an inside job."
"I know women in their 30s who talk about being old, and they look old and they act old and they think old, whatever that really means. And it doesn't have to be that way," says Phillips. "I know an 87-year-old woman who is on the go all the time. Her spirit, her mind, her whole being - the essence of who she is - is not old. Our attitude says so much more than our age, and we actually have control over that."
Phillips launched www.olderwiserwomen.com a year ago to help women embrace the wisdom and experience that comes with aging. The OlderWiserWomen Web site features articles and advice on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Women can sign up at the site for a free bimonthly e-newsletter and weekly tips on successful aging.
A certified family and geriatric nurse practitioner, Phillips writes most of the articles herself. Her e-newsletter currently reaches more than 400 subscribers in 14 countries around the world.
She also recently published her first in a planned series of OlderWiserWomen guides. The booklet, titled "Tips for Successful Aging and Vibrant Living," sells for $6 through the site and contains 91 informational and thought-provoking nuggets on mind, body, money and community. Consider tip 31: "Acknowledge and share your unique gifts. Imagine what the world is like when everyone is doing this."
A Book Proposal
The idea for OlderWiserWomen stemmed from patients Phillips treated at Shoalwater Bay Tribal Clinic in Tokeland, Wash. "Women were asking me about the aging experiences of other women. An 'Am I normal?' 'Is this what all women go through?' type of thing. They told me I should write a book, but I never really had time," she says.
In a compromise, Phillips decided to collect stories from a cross-section of women whose experiences represent the aging process and gather them into a book. She primarily launched www.olderwiserwomen.com as a vehicle to solicit submissions, but the project - and the site - grew quickly. She left the clinic earlier this year to devote more time to the venture.
"I'm looking for positive stories. I want to show that aging isn't about getting old and decrepit, which is often what we see it depicted as, but it is about reclaiming yourself," she says. "I recently saw the most wonderful photo in a magazine. It showed an older woman in a wetsuit holding a surfboard. Those things are very possible."
Phillips says she's collected "a fair number" of stories, including one from a 43-year-old writer looking forward to menopause: "For me, life transitions are not about denying discomfort, pain or fear, but about shifting what I chose to focus on, reframing my beliefs. How do I know this will happen as I approach menopause? I just do," the woman writes.
Expansion Plans
In addition to the Web site, Phillips has launched an OlderWiserWomen online shop (www.olderwiserwomen.com/wisershop/index.html), an OlderWiserWomen blog (www.olderwiserwomen.com/blog/owwblog.html) and an OlderWiserWomen podcast series (www.owwspeak.blogspot.com). As the OlderWiserWomen audience continues to expand, Phillips has plans to one day offer life workshops and on-site seminars.
"Women have told me that they would just love to be able to get together and talk and learn, so this is something that I'm really looking forward to," Phillips says. "For me, the most important thing has always been to make a difference in people's lives. That's why I went into nursing. And now I'm finding that OlderWiserWomen is another way that I can make a difference."
Jolynn Tumolo is the managing editor. Reach her at jtumolo@merion.com.
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