There’s a moment in every mother’s life when it hits: your children are no longer children. Not just because they’ve moved out, or because they pay their own bills, but because they’ve become fully formed adults—with their own lives, opinions, and even the ability to guide you for a change.

Mentoring isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about listening, encouraging, and showing up with the kind of perspective only lived experience can offer. Whether it's sharing your career know-how, life lessons, or emotional resilience, mentoring is a meaningful way to stay connected, engaged, and influential — no matter your age.

There’s something special about old friends — the ones who knew you before life got so complicated. Maybe you danced together in college, raised babies at the same time, or laughed through heartbreaks over cheap wine. Then life happened: careers, marriages, moves, family responsibilities. And one day, you realized it had been years since you last spoke…

For many women, the "Third Act" of life begins when the to-do lists of work and raising families give way to long-awaited freedom. It’s a time of transformation — not winding down, but rather, turning up the volume on what brings you joy, meaning, and connection. Think of it as a personal encore. You’ve gathered wisdom, weathered storms, and built a life filled with experience.

Ladies, it’s time to kick the clichés to the curb, pour yourself a glass of something fabulous, and embrace the glorious, gutsy art of aging disgracefully. That’s right—we’re not fading into the background in beige cardigans and sensible shoes. We’re showing up bold, brilliant, and unapologetically us.

At 64, Vivienne faced a life-altering diagnosis: stage 4 bowel cancer. Born in Invercargill, New Zealand, and now residing in Brisbane, Australia, her experience with the “Big C” has been one of challenge, transformation, and surprising revelations.

Vivienne’s diagnosis came with a daunting prognosis—just a few months to live. What followed was an intense treatment journey, including months of intravenous chemotherapy and combined radiation and oral chemotherapy.

My 28-year-old daughter called me yesterday seeking some motherly wisdom and guidance. Reflecting on the observation, ‘To be seen is to be loved’, I realized that I never felt seen by my mother. Not feeling seen, I did not feel loved, and not feeling loved drove me to look for love in all the wrong places.

When disaster strikes, the world watches in horror, but for those affected, the devastation is personal and life-altering. In these moments, the presence of someone who understands, listens, and takes action can make all the difference. Enter Jacquelyne, a 65-year-old FEMA Disaster Inspector based in the United States, whose dedication to helping others in crisis is both inspiring and essential.

As blackouts in Bali, Spain, Portugal and France once again showed us, it’s important to be prepared for situations where the things we take for granted - such as electricity - are suddenly lost. While there are numerous obvious implications, as a mother who is often a fair distance from loved ones, how to regain contact with them tends to be top of mind.

Being followed is unsettling, especially when you're on your own in a strange country. Unfortunately, these situations can happen any time of day, and people may follow with different intentions; from hoping to swipe your belongings to something worse. Staying calm, confident, and prepared can make a real difference, which is why we pulled together a practical guide on how to handle the situation safely.

Charlene (62) is from the United States. She and her sister have been pet sitting for just over two years, as a way to reduce both outgoings and stress. Her quality of life has improved as a result and she’s travelling the word in an affordable manner, while still getting a regular dose of puppy love. I caught up with her briefly and asked her some burning questions…

I was a lonely child. I could not have told you I was lonely as I did not know how to name or describe the blank and empty palette that stretched before me on waking every day for as long as I could remember. What I accepted - in the way that children simply accept the way things are because that is all they know- was that it was up to me to figure out how to fill hours and amuse myself while my father was at work and my mother busied herself with the daily tasks of housekeeping, meal planning, cooking and ensuring her children were adequately clothed and fed within the modest budget she had to work with.

I was 8 years old when my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and hospitalized for a month for surgery and post-surgical complications. I worried that she might die and leave me motherless. I also worried that her cancer might be contagious and that I might very well catch it and die as well. I had no one to talk with about my fears. My father was preoccupied with my mother’s illness while...

Let’s be honest: no one sets out to annoy the younger people in their lives. And this isn’t a takedown of the Boomer generation—or anyone over 50. It’s not about blame. It’s about awareness…. With the best of intentions, many older adults say or do things that quietly create distance between themselves and the younger people they love.

Erika earned her Master’s in Social Work in 1997 and obtained her Clinical Social Work License in 2006. Before that, Erika’s passion for humanitarian work took her to orphanages and hospitals in developing countries; primarily through Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. A defining moment in Erika’s journey was meeting Mother Teresa herself in 1993 in Calcutta, India. This is Erika’s story of teaching children and young mothers self-healing through Havening.

One day long ago my mother treated me to a day at the beach. She didn’t swim and as far as I recall she didn’t particularly like the beach, but for some reason, that one day she decided to humor me and take me to the beach; just the two of us. I am guessing it may have been Laguna or Newport as we were still living in Thermal, California and it was a long there and back.

Sometime around 11 AM on February 10, 2021, my husband of 30+ years shuffled upstairs from his basement man cave, sat on the couch next to me, and announced that he wanted a divorce. He had already consulted with a divorce attorney and the news came as a rude shock; especially as the announcement was made in front of our 25-year-old daughter, (who promptly burst into tears).

A few minutes later, he walked out of our home for good, his head bowed, averting my gaze, towing his rolling suitcase behind him with a pillow tucked under his arm.

Standing in a tiny boulangerie in France at just 11 years old, I felt a spark of independence ignite within me. I mustered all the courage I could to order a baguette in French. The thrill of being understood, of stepping into a world so different from my own, filled me with a joy I couldn’t quite put into words. Little did I know that this small moment would become the foundation of a lifelong love affair with travel—a love that would lead to profound self-discovery and a deeper understanding of life’s possibilities.

Behind every legend lies a story, and for Elvis Presley, that story begins with his mother, Gladys Love Presley. A steadfast and loving presence in his life, Gladys was much more than Elvis’s mother—she was his rock, his confidante, and his inspiration. Her background, resilience, and deep bond with her son played a pivotal role in shaping the man who would become the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Truganini’s life is a story of resilience, sorrow, and advocacy. Born around 1812 on Bruny Island, Tasmania, she was a member of the Nuenonne clan, one of the many Aboriginal groups that called the island home. Known by several names, including Lalla Rookh and Lydgugee, Truganini’s life mirrors the profound disruptions and tragedies faced by her people during the colonization of Australia.