With Gratitude

Big thanks to all of you...

Readers,

Just a quick note on Thanksgiving, well, giving thanks. I’m grateful to all of you for being a part of this ongoing exploration into what it means to travel through time in a human body, at every phase of life.

The world is a mess, and I worry it’s likely to get messier in the coming year and beyond. But I’ll still be here, delving into assorted angles of what it means to grow older, featuring a wide variety of people telling the story of what it’s like to be exactly their age, in their own voice.

I drew you a hand-outline turkey who is a little sad about the state of the world.

Our experience of aging is an important aspect of our humanity—something that’s easy to lose hold of in dark times. Telling personal stories that highlight that aspect of our humanity is an act of defiance against the cultural forces that seek to tell us we no longer matter after assorted arbitrary expiration dates, that we’re invisible, and no longer relevant. I’ve learned it’s also a balm for readers who identify with the stories, and learn they are not alone in their trials and triumphs around getting older.

Many of you have written to let me know that the questionnaires, essays, and other columns you find on Oldster buoy you. Thank you for letting me know that. It means so much to me. I like the image of Oldster as something of an emotional life preserver through the choppy seas of life. (Maybe the next Oldster Magazine merch should be life preservers. 🛟 😂)

Tee shirt, anyone?

No matter how events unfold on the national and global stages, I plan to keep Oldster going. It’s helping me to stay relatively sane, while also continually opening my heart and mind to the aging experiences and concerns of others.

I couldn’t do this all without your help. THANK YOU. 🙏 💝

Tomorrow I’ll have a special link roundup/open thread hybrid for you. In the meantime, wishing you all a happy and peaceful holiday.

With immense gratitude,

Sari