Turning 59 in Real Time

Sometimes I write in real time.
In other words, I stop what I’m doing the moment a realization hits—while life is unfolding around me—and start writing about whatever I’m thinking. A full circle, if you will.

This week was my birthday—Wednesday, in fact. I began powering down that day where work was concerned. Steve had a follow-up story on an issue he’s been tracking, so I produced that, but everything else slid into secondary (or even tertiary) status.

I had a wonderful lunch with my husband and two boys — my youngest joining us over FaceTime — and a beautiful dinner at one of my favorite D.C. restaurants with my husband, sister, and brother-in-law. It was excellent. (My hair was not—but that’s another story.)

Since then, I haven’t been able to power back up to my “work self.” I’ve been taking it slow, listening to my body and mind telling me to enjoy these first days of 59. Lap it up. Be okay with it. And honestly? It’s been quite nice. I even extended a project deadline I had set for this Sunday. I’ll ease my way back into another project—a book I’m copyediting. Tomorrow, I’ll get back to My Jungle Rules and Not Done Yet. For today, I’m writing this column.

It’s just one of those times when you let your body and mind dictate the pace, and then you embrace it. Don’t feel guilty. Don’t panic. Don’t fight it. My work suffers if I’m not present. It’s the same philosophy I hold for cooking: never cook if you’re in a bad mood, or sad, or distracted. The meal will taste it.

And so here I am, cleaning my inbox, realizing I’m feeling this kind of zen—moving at my own rhythm, not rushing or resisting. Just living in it. I let myself do that now. (Where was this version of me 10 years ago?)

I also read an amazing column by Emma Gannon, author of The Hyphen newsletter. She interviewed author and psychic Sophie Burnham, now 88, who has written several books on aging. Sophie spoke about spirit—that your spirit stays true to the age in your heart, even as the body ages. Her insights on the process of growing older were powerful.

“If you live [your years] really well, you'll have a wonderful old age. If you don't live them well, you'll get to a point where you say: ‘I wish I'd done such and such.’ So live it up to the fullest while you can.”

The conversation was a great read. It really hit home the concept of aging with intention. I’ve downloaded her book, though I haven’t started it yet. For now, I’m just embracing this moment—before moving on.

I have a lunch to head out to in a few minutes—again, writing in real time. So, until next week, I leave you with a few of my finds and hope you’ll tune in to the upcoming podcast on balance vs. alignment. It’s really a twist on how we think about living our lives.

And again, for our paid subscribers, thank you for your support. And for those who haven’t, please consider it. I’m making it easy with this link.

📌 NDY Gems
📖 Read — The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama. A grounded reflection on navigating uncertainty and aging with grace.

🎧 Listen — We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle — especially the episodes where they talk about rest, aging, and changing rhythms.

📺 Watch — Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (Netflix). A documentary on communities that live longer, healthier lives, and what we can learn from them.

🍴 Try — A simple ritual tea break this week. Step away from screens, brew your favorite tea, and take 10 minutes to just sit with it—no multitasking allowed.

🛠️ Keep — A pocket notebook or small journal to capture “real-time writing” moments—like the one that inspired this column. Sometimes the best thoughts come when you’re not forcing them.

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