What If You Haven’t Peaked Yet? (At 61, I Haven’t, And That’s the Point)

¿Y si lo mejor de ti aún está por venir? (En mi caso, a los 61, lo creo firmemente)

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One of the gifts of growing older is perspective. At 61, I’m not handing out advice from a pedestal. I’m sharing insights earned the long, messy, joyful way. And no, I’m not talking about the “back in my day” kind of wisdom. I’m talking about the kind that comes from falling flat on your face more than once, then getting up and trying again with a little more grit and grace.

If you feel like you haven’t peaked yet, whatever your age, allow me to say: good. That means there’s more to come.

School Days and Second Acts

When Facebook opened up to the masses in the mid-2000s, like many of us, I went digging through digital archives looking for childhood friends and first loves. I was in my early forties at the time, a mother, an author, and finally feeling somewhat grounded.

What I found surprised me: many of the "popular" kids from school, the ones who seemed to have it all figured out back then, now looked worn down, jaded even. Their updates had an air of defeat, a quiet resi…