Sunday, October 29, 2017

When Did Everybody Else Get So Old?

I recently finished one of the books on my reading list - When Did Everybody Else Get So Old?: Indignities, Compromises, and the Unexpected Grace of Midlife by Jennifer Grant.
Jennifer Grant is a writer, editor, and speaker. A former health and family columnist for the Chicago Tribune, she is the author of four previous books, including the adoption memoir Love You More. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, four children, and two rescue dogs. Find her online at jennifergrant.com or on Twitter @jennifercgrant.
I received this one in exchange for a review, so I bumped it to the top of my ever-growing reading list.

This is a fairly quick read, and I saw glimpses of myself and my life in Jennifer Grant's. No, we're not all the same, but chances are if you're in that same time of life, you'll find glimpses of yourself in there too.

She takes us through the changes as our children grow up and get ready to move on into their own lives, starting college and moving out. After all that time of singular focus on the children, the questions emerge - What now? Who am I besides mom? 

Jennifer shares her insights and the things she learned, simply by living it, not without a bit of humor thrown in, sometimes at her own expense. And, yes, she even talks about S-E-X.

I read some reviews from people who laughed out loud and cried when reading this book. I didn't experience any of that, but I did come away with a strong sense that everything is going to be OK as perhaps we're all old (and wise) enough to accept our lives and ourselves as we are. And maybe this next phase has plenty to offer, too. 

Overall, a very enjoyable book, and I especially liked many of the quotes from books she had read and her special take on them. I plan to troll her Notes section for some additional reading. (like I really need any more books on my to-read list)

Thanks to Herald Press for the review copy of the book.