Full of Vitality
A few weeks ago, Anne and Joe* came in for their Q4 portfolio review meeting. Before we began talking about their investments, Anne wanted to show me pictures of their grandson from Saturday’s football game. He plays for Yale, and these very proud grandparents never miss a game nor a tailgating party— even though Yale is 90 minutes from their home. That’s because staying connected with their kids and grandkids has always been their priority.
“Give me second,” said Anne, “I’m just trying to log into Instagram to show you his picture. I’m much quicker at Facebook. But if I want to stay connected to my grandkids, I need to be on Instagram!”
Anne is 81. Her husband is 82.
I expressed to them how impressed I was with their willingness to adapt to new technology at their age. Anne stated matter-of-factly that this is simply what you need to do to stay connected to the people you love.
How true.
Five years ago, I was at a country music concert in Hartford CT with our usual group of friends. We were chit-chatting as we waited for the show to begin. It was a beautiful summer night. As I looked around at the huge crowd, I couldn’t help but notice four older women sitting diagonally across from us. They were dressed in matching glittery outfits and each of them was wearing a bright yellow lei around their neck. They were laughing and looked like they were having a blast.
I didn’t know who they were… but I knew I wanted to meet them. I got up from my seat and walked over to say hello.
“Excuse me, ladies, I just wanted to take moment to tell you that you all look fabulous in your matching outfits!” With smiles on all their faces, they each shook my hand and introduced themselves. I learned that each of them was widowed. Instead of feeling sad or sorry for themselves, however, they had made a commitment to look out for one another and to never stop having fun. Turns out, attending country concerts was a favorite summer activity!
One of the women, Pat, dared me to guess how old they were. I ventured to say seventyish. They all cheered! Then they proudly shared that they were all in their 80’s! I loved that they were so committed to fun and friendship.
I also mentioned we had season tickets to the venue, and that we’d be at the other four country concerts that summer. “If we’re still alive, we plan to be at all of those shows too!” Pat promised.
That was five years ago. Since then, we have seen Pat and her friends at every country concert the Xfinity Theater in Hartford has hosted. The picture above is from this past summer when Pat and her friends joined us in the parking lot for our tailgating party— which has become our tradition. On this particular night, they were telling us about how they had recently returned from a trip to Nashville to celebrate their 85th birthdays!
These women are fun, sassy, and unstoppable. They swear it’s their connection to one another— and their shared love for a fun night on the town— that keeps them full of vitality.
My client Ellen* will tell you the same.
She and some local friends began gathering in her neighbor’s driveway to play their ukuleles together. They had previously belonged to a different ukulele group which had stopped meeting during Covid. Ellen and her friends decided to get a mini-version of the band together, but to play in the driveway safely distanced during the pandemic.
It wasn’t long before other neighbors walking by would stop to listen. Some even started showing up with their lawn chairs and sitting at the end of the driveway to enjoy to the performance.
Ellen and her friends became known as The Driveway Chicks. With instruments, sheet music, and a local audience, The Driveway Chicks kept playing for the neighborhood. They learned new songs, rehearsed, and got really good. Band members range in age from 65 to 76.
Fast-forward to today: The Driveway Chicks now have a repertoire of more than 130 songs. They’ve played to a standing-room-only crowd at a local brewery, have become the preferred entertainers at their local senior center, and are already booked for gigs next summer! Their most popular requests include The Eagles, Alison Krauss, Simon & Garfunkel, and even the occasional flashback to Da Do Run Run. Ellen, the most high-tech member of the group, recently transposed all their sheet music to digital copies stored on tablets for easier use.
The Driveway Chicks love entertaining others, working on their craft, and most importantly enjoying each other’s company. Their vitality is evidenced by their standing room only shows!
All of these amazing women remind us that it’s never too late to try something new.
What’s something you could do for yourself, or someone else, to inspire more vitality?
Maybe you can help your grandfather set up a Facebook account and connect him to all the grandkids?
How about for Christmas you buy your mom those piano lessons she’s been meaning to take?
Perhaps you’ll bring your own craft, skill, or hobby over to the local senior center and share your talent with others?
What if you kicked off 2024 learning to play the ukulele?
Is it time to pass on your famous pierogi-making skills to your kids over the holidays?
What’s the thing you’ve been meaning to do, to learn, to buy, or to try?
‘Tis the season to finally make it happen— for yourself and the people you love!
*client names have been changedThis Month’s Resources & Cool Ideas
Feel Good, Shop Local
Sure, it’s easy and convenient to do holiday shopping on Amazon. But maybe you’d feel better and even more festive if you spent some of your dollars supporting local artists and small business owners this year. My friend Michelle started this amazing collaboration in called Feel Good, Shop Local where more than 50 stores are featured all on one convenient and beautifully curated website. Shop here in December!
I Like to Move It, Move it
Do you spend the majority of your day sitting at a desk? Do you spend hours on the weekend plopped on your couch watching Netflix? Would you feel better if you were moving more? Here’s the coolest solution: The Walking Pad. This mini-treadmill folds up under a desk or a couch. Pop it open anytime to get your steps in! I use mine at the office and can easily clock 7,000 steps without leaving my desk! It’s a great gift to give, and they’re offering some big sales right now for the holidays.
Grief and the Holiday Season
For people dealing with the loss of a loved one, the holiday season can be challenging. In Ridgefield CT, the installation of a “wind phone” has helped to ease some people’s pain. A wind phone is a disconnected phone that people can use to have one-way conversations with their loved ones who’ve died. The tradition was started in Japan, and now there are more than 150 wind phones in the US. Read here for this special story.
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