“Embracing Life’s Second Act” is a term that refers to accepting a new stage of life with a positive mindset. It’s about recognizing that the journey isn’t over as we age — it’s a time of self-discovery, improving our quality of life, wonderful adventures, and pursuing our life-long dreams. It’s about giving your second act everything you’ve got to live a life of genuine happiness and inner peace. Let’s journey through life’s second act together! ~ Susan
Mission and Vision Statements for Sassy Sister Stuff
We seek to empower awesome middle-aged and senior women to reach their fullest potential and lead lives infused with passion, positivity, and purpose. We are dedicated to nurturing a community of women that celebrates and embraces personal growth and wellbeing in midlife and beyond.
Through an array of transformative articles and resources that encompass personal growth, wellness, caregiving, mindset, happiness, self-care, and more, we pave the way for overcoming challenges and flourishing as we journey through the aging process. We also share a wide array of inspirational quotes that support a positive mindset for our readers.
With an unwavering commitment to inclusivity, we continuously strive to ensure accessibility for all individuals, honoring our responsibility to create an environment where everyone feels welcome.
As we embark on this journey together, our deepest desire is to illuminate your “second act” with rays of sunshine and everlasting smiles.
From SAHM to Distinguished Educator to Blogger
I’ve had a diverse life to say the least! However, to keep it simple, we’re going to start with my adult life!
With Sassy Sister Stuff, I have combined my years of formal education and life experiences to help women in midlife and beyond embrace the aging process through personal growth and wellness so they can reach a place of inner peace, confidence, balance, and genuine happiness — maybe even sprinkled with a little sass.
I seek to share, support, and inspire women in my stage of life — let’s call it our second act — to embrace the wit, wisdom, and wonder that we have garnered in our lives so far. So how did I get here?
I started as a stay-at-home mom in my twenties and thirties, after spending a few years teaching elementary school. I had gone to the University of Maryland on a scholarship for a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education — but I wanted to spend some time at home with my children. But I can whole-heartedly share that being a SAHM was the hardest job I ever had!
My children were only 18 months apart. Today, given the new information available about post-partum depression, I realize I lived in a constant state of PPD for the better part of 3 years. Unfortunately, my mom kept telling me I wasn’t going through anything that every other mother in the world doesn’t go through.
I don’t admit this often and I never told my mom, but I kept a suicide hotline number on my refrigerator and I used it a few times. Plus, there were a number of times I called my husband at work and he decided it was necessary to come home. My state of mind was horrible most of the first three years.
Today, I realize I didn’t know how to balance my life — I didn’t take time for self-care, I tried to do everything right as a mother, I didn’t value my relationship with my husband, and we almost ended in divorce. Even though we lived in a traditional starter home neighborhood with great people, I wasn’t getting the emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual support that I needed. Fortunately, I had a fairly strong social support system in my neighbors and friends.
After 8 years as a SAHM, I returned to teaching just in time for Carol Dweck’s new growth mindset theories and several other new teaching philosophies. But mindset theory was here to stay and I embraced it for myself, personally and professionally. Through all my years of professional work with Carol Dweck’s mindset practices, and a number of human development personality assessments that identify strengths and weaknesses, I’ve helped thousands of young people and adults develop confidence and develop a positive mindset that supports personal growth, success, and happiness.
I taught for 20 years and then became a school administrator. I’ll share more about my years of teaching below, but during these years, I won many awards and recognitions such as Teacher of the Year and the 2002 Maryland State Christa McAuliffe Fellowship. I was invited to speak at colleges, universities, and conferences around the country. I participated in national research programs, wrote state and county curriculum, became certified in Human Development, and co-wrote educational books. I had come a long way from my SAHM days!
Navigating Health Challenges
On a deeply personal level, I’ve had weight issues my whole life that have impacted my confidence at various times. Fortunately, I believe in the power of mental health therapy so I’ve overcome many challenges with the help of great counselors, and self-help books. I still struggle with my weight but I strive to live a full and happy life everyday by maintaining a positive mindset and creating a comfortable, cozy lifestyle. I use affirmations and self care religiously to empower myself.
Sadly, right now I’m not somebody who is comfortable in my own skin. I respect those who support the body positivity movement, but personally I believe more in the body neutrality movement. I have some health problems that are connected to my weight, so I am like many others who are trying to lose weight and get healthier in my senior years. I’ve done it before, so I know I can do it again!
Unfortunately, in my 50’s I was assaulted at work and suffered Post Concussive Syndrome, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Post Concussive Vision Syndrome, and other issues. It took me years of various therapies with specialists in DC and Baltimore to overcome the physical and emotional trauma. The truth is — I will never be the same –but I will always continue to work on myself. Meanwhile, it was necessary to retire.
I continue to see a counselor and read self-help books today. It helps me maintain a sense of “keeping it together” since I can be a grown-up mess sometimes with processing challenges, and memory dysfunction from the head injury. My husband will tell you what a mess I can be! But with the right interventions and knowledge, we make it work! We’ve been married for 43 years — and he insists it’s cheaper to keep me at this point!
Epic Adventures Await
My husband and I absolutely LOVE to travel! We have recognized the importance of adventure and travel for our mental and physical wellness as we’ve gotten older.
We meet new people, learn about diverse cultures and lifestyles, and forget about the chaos and turmoil that exists in our daily lives! As much as we LOVE our children, grandchildren, and parents, there are times when we need to spend time together to nurture our relationship and re-establish our peace.
Our favorite adventure so far was riding four-wheelers ten miles into the wilderness of Alaska to a gorgeous homestead where we were treated to lunch and a variety of Alaskan activities!
We have been to 37 states so far — our favorites are Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming. We were both in incredible disbelief at the beauty and vastness of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. But I have to admit, Nashville is a favorite spot for a quick getaway when flights are cheap! We live in Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC so we can visit there a bit easier than Yellowstone:)
You’ll see that I write about some of our adventures here on Sassy Sister Stuff. You might ask what traveling has to do with navigating the aging process. Well, there are at least 30 reasons why traveling is good for your overall wellbeing as you get older and you can read about them right here!
Becoming a Caregiver in Midlife
This is somewhat difficult to write about, but I want to share that my CAREGIVER articles are based on personal experience as a caregiver for my mother and father, as well as several other family members.
I lost my mother in 2013. I lost my father in 2023. I was the primary caregiver for both of them in the months preceding their deaths.
When my mom got sick in December 2012, I took 6 weeks off from work to stay with her. By that time, I was a school administrator and my life was quite stressful. Sadly, repeated infections and assaults to my mom’s fragile body were just too much for her to overcome. In her final weeks, she developed dementia and didn’t remember that her leg was broken in multiple places and she could not get out of the hospital bed.
I stayed with her in the hospitals and watched her decline rapidly. She coded three times in those weeks. I advocated for her medical rights and appropriate treatment when things went wrong; I laid in bed and held her when she was scared and wanted to be home; I kept family members informed about what the doctors said each day — as it got worse and worse.
These were some of the toughest days of my life. But as I sat in those hospitals day-after-day, I reflected on the fact that caregiving is something many of us face in midlife when our parents are aging. Our parents get older and need more help. I pitied patients who didn’t have someone to advocate and care for them while in the hospital. Hospitals can be horrible and scary places.
Roles reverse for many of us at this stage of life. Our parents need us. The changes may come on quickly or occur over years or months. But when it happens, we need practical advice and emotional support because our lives change dramatically.
We need to know how to find the necessary resources to provide the best care for our parents. This was a huge learning curve for me, but I fiercely fought for everything my mother needed in those final weeks. On February 15, 2013, my mother left us.
Just about ten years later, I found myself in the same situation with my dad. He was living alone in the home he shared with my mom for 14 years — but he got too sick to live by himself. I lived with him for 9 months before he died. A lot of the articles I’ve written here on Sassy Sister Stuff are based on day-to-day caregiving experiences I had with my dad during those nine months.
Sadly, he died just two weeks before his 90th birthday. He left us on July 24, 2023.
As the oldest child, I was now my dad’s Personal Representative and had to learn all the legal issues related to the estate. It took almost a year to close his estate, but as a life-long learner, I survived and became educated. Now I can share my experiences with others. It’s been a very long two years.
While I was living with my dad, and caring for my mom ten years earlier, I was still trying to maintain some kind of life at home with my husband, adult children, grandchildren, and cats. Yes, cats — I’m a crazy cat lady, too!
Overwhelm and stress becomes a way of life when you are the primary caregiver for a loved one. Take very good care of yourself if you find yourself in the role of a caregiver. Bless you.
Retirement Life and Blogging
After several years of therapy from the assault, I eventually retired on disability. I needed something to do that encompassed my passions. I have always loved to write and, of course, connect with people. So it made sense for me to start a blog (website) for women around my age. I combined my passions for life-learning, writing, and developing relationships with my desire to help others. This is how I came up with the tagline SHARE | SUPPORT | INSPIRE.
When I began doing research for Sassy Sister Stuff, I learned there are lots of online support communities out there for younger ladies… but far fewer communities for ladies who are a little older. As we age, we have different lifestyles, interests, and needs than younger ladies and new moms. We are continuously redefining our personal growth and wellness based on significant changes and transitions — both expected and unexpected — in life. Life can be challenging, but the more we know, the better we’ll figure it all out, right? We’ve got to develop and maintain a positive mindset!
Therefore, on April 1, 2020, I officially launched this website! It has undergone many transformations in appearance, structure, and organization, but the vision and mission have remained the same! It has become my passion and my purpose (other than my family) in retirement.
My Family, My Life
It’s pretty simple for me to say the most important thing in my life is my FAMILY. We all live within 15 minutes of each other and get together often. My husband and I have 2 children and 3 grandchildren. We are very proud of all of them!
The grandchildren are involved in a variety of extracurricular activities — competitive dance, travel lacrosse, basketball, softball, soccer. They are all teenagers now and stay quite busy, but we get to their activities as often as possible.
My mother-in-law lives with us and my sister and her family live just 15 minutes away. My sister is three years younger than me, but she loves informing people that I am MUCH, MUCH OLDER THAN HER! 🥰
Since our parents are gone, we both feel like orphans. I won’t lie — it’s been a difficult transition to lose our dad. This is something I’ll probably write about in the future because I’m sure we are not the only ones who feel this way.
Born with an Educator Gene
My dad and both grandmothers were all teachers. I was awarded a scholarship to the University of Maryland for an education degree — teaching is in my blood. I became a teacher of people — children and adults — through my leadership skills.
I have advanced degrees in Human Resource Development and Educational Leadership, plus National Board Certification as an Exceptional Needs Specialist for Ages Preschool through Adult. I’ve worked on the county, state, and national level to endorse personal growth and advancement among adults. As an Enneagram Type 2 and Myers-Briggs ENFP, I combine my professional education with my innate desire and passion to share, support, and inspire others. One personality test identified me as a NURTURER, and it’s fairly accurate:)
I taught General Education, Grades 1-4 for ten years. I primarily worked with special education and at-risk students in a disadvantaged community where I collaborated closely with parents to provide them with the resources they needed in life.
For the next ten years, I taught Special Education, Grades K-5. I also began working in Professional Development, teaching educators about Special Education Laws, Personal Growth, and Service Oriented Education, and Growth Mindset.
And for the final nine years of my career, I was a school administrator. I continued to advocate for students and nurture families in the community who needed assistance with educational resources and programs. With my leadership skills, I was often called upon to speak at conferences and special events around the country.
During my years as a Special Education Teacher and School Administrator, I advocated for ALL, and taught parents and students in the community how to advocate for their legal rights. I continue to be in touch with many of my former students and their families because we developed strong bonds during our time together.
My Forever Sassy Sisters
I want to take a minute to honor and celebrate the friends who inspired the name of this website. Meet my Sassy Sisters!
We all moved into a new neighborhood around the same time and became close friends. For more than 25 years, we have supported each other through marriages, divorces, grandchildren, death, house renovations, graduations, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, retirement, illnesses, personal growth, good times, and bad.
Many years ago, we voted on a name for our little friendship group — and we became the Sassy Sisters! Friendship and social connections are essential to a well-balanced and happy life. These are my ride-or-die girls!
I love you girls to the moon and back — Chris, Lisa, Debbe, Page, and Marilyn!
Let’s Get Started on this Aging Journey
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. As with all of us, we go through good times and bad times in life. But we can all CHOOSE JOY if we develop the skillset to maintain a positive mindset. And a positive mindset will be just the beginning of your confident, vibrant, and sassy story about the aging process!
Let’s kickstart your journey with these three steps:
- Take a quick moment to LIKE my Facebook page and find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok, too! Let’s connect, friends!
- Stay informed about all that’s happening here. SUBSCRIBE to Sassy Sister Stuff so I can send you a monthly newsletter that will support and inspire you!
- Peruse the site and pick an article. There’s tons of great content! Drop me an email at [email protected] to let me know what you think! Our 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s are going to be the best times of our lives!
I’m so glad you’re here!
Love to ALL! ~ Susan
