Redefining Aging: How Late Bloomers Thrive in Midlife and Beyond
If you’ve ever been told you’re a Late Bloomer, you’re not alone. For women in midlife and beyond, the term “Late Bloomer” isn’t a sign of failure - it’s a powerful reminder that personal growth, creativity, and purpose don’t have an expiration date. In this reflective post, I explore what it means to embrace Late Blooming as a strength as we navigate aging with wisdom, purpose, clarity and choice.
What I understood about Late Blooming
I was told early on in life that I was a “late bloomer”. I understood it to mean that I was just a step behind my peers and it would always take me longer to achieve, learn, or “arrive” at where I wanted to be.
My parents’ observation wasn’t wrong - I felt it when I compared myself to others and realized I was a bit more afraid of taking risks than they were, shy about putting myself out there.
Hidden Strengths
“Late bloomer” in my parents’ eyes was meant as a strength - they didn’t want me to grow up too fast and thought they were giving me permission to take my time. And I did - in hindsight, everything I’ve set out to achieve, or fallen into, has been in my time, not a moment before I’ve been ready.
A Book That Reframes Aging
I’ve spent years working towards letting go of comparisons and the negative connotation of “late bloomer”. It’s no surprise that when I came across a book called “Secrets of Becoming a Late Bloomer: Staying Creative, Aware, and Involved in Midlife and Beyond”, I ordered it right away.
Published in 1995, it’s full of stories about successful Late Bloomers. The authors, Connie Goldman and Richard Mahler, wrote it as a call to change the way we view ageing - they demolished the stereotype of the ageing man and woman sitting demurely in a rocking chair, without purpose, vision or the energy to live life to the fullest.
They define Late Bloomer as “anyone who defies the notion that his or her best years are over, someone who responds to the later stage of life not as a crisis but as a quest.” The book is really about personal growth and the desire to explore what life could be like after “retiring” from the responsibilities and priorities we had.
My Own Journey
Given that I’ve always taken my time in responding to life’s opportunities, I feel somewhat vindicated as a Late Bloomer in midlife - it wasn’t about trying to catch up to others at all, but about me transforming the way in which I believed and valued my abilities, skills, the desire to learn and grow, and now at this stage of life, how I truly am blooming as I age.
Realism Meets Possibility in Midlife and Beyond
Clearly aging has an impact on us that is undeniable. And, I suspect that no amount of exercising and strengthening, eating a clean diet, having a positive perspective etc. will stop a natural decline. Late Blooming is not about saying “the skies the limit” or about unrealistic expectations. Realism always needs to have a place at the table when we decide our future.
But what I love about the idea of being a Late Bloomer now in midlife and beyond, is that regardless of chronological age, there are opportunities available to us, the energy, time and space to accomplish them at our own pace; we’re more likely to see beyond limitations or roadblocks - if we’re willing to step out of a stereotype that can easily hold us back.
Despite the downsides of aging and the realities we face with limited time ahead of us, the losses we experience, the physical and medical challenges that impact us (some more than others), we get to experiment more and reap the benefits of all the years of experience and wisdom we collected, now in the second half (3rd act) of life.
Gratitude and Growth as We Age
This book is full stories that are sure to inspire and motivate about finding purpose in later life and as we redefine aging. As I’m reading each chapter, I feel grateful for the opportunity I have to share my wisdom and knowledge in The Tap and Write Studio. I love that I can focus my life in ways that I want to.
We don’t know what the future holds for us in midlife and beyond but my wish is that we make the most of what we gain as we get older and embrace the changes that happen.
I want to be that woman who continues to see the glass half full, the Late Bloomer that takes advantage of opportunities, who steps up to create them, and who says “yes” to living fully.
How about you? I’d love to know what your experience is and whether you consider yourself to be a Late Bloomer.
Thanks for reading.
Joan
Won’t you join me? I’ve thoughtfully created some writing prompts for you inside The W.I.S.E.R. Woman’s Guide where you can explore topics and issues like this one. Join us HERE
