Five Friday Reads
What We Are Reading This Week From Midlife Writers Across Substack
As a semi-weekly feature, we want to spotlight articles and essays from across Substack by midlife women. We’ll mostly choose writing from Substacks on our Midstack Directory, but not exclusively.
Please tell us about any other favorite writing you recently wrote or read in the comments of this post.
Do you have a Substack not yet featured on our Midstack Directory?
Can You Start a Writing Career When You’re Over 50?
by
of in“Some people achieve it at 30, others at 70. Learning to find meaning in your life is a process. It’s not taught in school. It’s taught by living, and it’s okay if it takes time.”
For the Houses That Won’t Hold
by
in“Houses that are homes, in my experience, aren’t a dime a dozen, but instead, come unexpectedly and are left behind with great sorrow, not to mention a suitcase heart full of memory and friendship.”
How Do You Get To Be 107 Years Old?
by
in“Each time I observe an old lady somewhere in the world, fussing over her clothes or hair or coffee table, over things I tend to consider trivial, something stirs in me like feathers in the wind, and I think of Oma and her veneer, of how we each embody the unvarnished truths that make up our world.”
Temporary Shadows
by
“The simple answer is that it can be very hard to let go of what was. Of youth. Of a face full of collagen and a body full of estrogen. Of being needed by young kids. Of being noticed. Of whatever was once true and happy and comfortable but now is different. Life moves forward at a relentless pace, changing us and the world around us as it goes.”
No One Ever Said You Must Wear Tight Pants…and 49 other lessons learned during my half century on earth
by
of“No one is watching me as closely as I think they are. While I remind my kids of this, sometimes I forget that my mistakes and foibles are largely unnoticed by the rest of the world.”
More Friday Notes:
Write with us for three weeks. Join our fall HerCircle writing group, starting October 4th. Three weeks of prompts, community, encouragement, and feedback. Learn more HERE.
Here at Midstory Magazine, this week we also published a guest post “Real Cats” by Angela Townsend.
Real Cats
I read the line three times. “Throughout history, cats have suffered for their association with autonomous women.” I read the line three times, because I did not know that there was any other kind.
Thanks for featuring my post, Jessica! And for sharing these great essays with us.
Thrilled to be in such wonderful company here - thank you for including me!