Helen Dennis writes the Successful Aging column each week.
This question was asked of eight men and seven women in mid to later life who have been coming together for the past 11 years to talk about subjects that matter regarding transition and change. The majority are retired; others are working part-time. All are or were highly accomplished in their respective fields including television, business, higher education, theater, science, technology, journalism, law, social services and nonprofit leadership, to name a few.
These characteristics are shared by women of Renewment, a forum and movement started by my co-founder Bernice Bratter and me in 1999. The Renewment women are like-minded with successful careers, wanting to create the next chapter of life to be equal to or even more satisfying than the previous one. Despite our lack of intention to grow, Renewment grew virally to nearly 40 in-person groups most in the Los Angeles area with some in New England down to Florida with most women still working and focusing on the transition to retirement. Some groups have been meeting for three years; others for 23 years.