Once the kids leave the nest and that halfway birthday milestone of 50 appears on the horizon, we often find ourselves wondering who the heck we are after so many years of focusing our attention and energy on others.  It’s time to take a look inward and focus on who we are becoming rather than who we have been.

Our empty-nesting member, Kala Cota, expresses that newfound sense of self exploration and discovery in this lovely poem.

Argh, is there anyone who can’t remember the emotional roller coaster ride of junior high caused by boys??  Does he notice me?  Does he like me?  Will he ask me to the dance?  Ah, the intensity and ache of it all.  

In this essay our member, Elynne Chaplik-Aleskow, takes us back to those days when we were in rapture one moment, and then plumbing the lowest depths of despair with one careless word from the object of our infatuation.

What IS it that causes midlife crises anyway?  There are lots of things it could be-crazy hormones, dependent parents, retirement staring you in the face.  But one thing is you can so clearly see how you got where you are by all those decisions you made in the past.  Gee, they seemed so reasonable at the time so how come I’m not where I thought I’d be?

Our member, Jane Becker, writes so very wittily and humorously about her transition over the midlife hump.  And, she gives us a lovely way metaphor for creating the second half of our life.