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The Short Version: Many women struggle with loneliness and feelings of invisibility as they age. Fortunately, Susan “Honey” Good has dedicated herself to helping older women feel supported and empowered. Honey is an influencer, blogger, author, and entrepreneur who focuses on providing advice and community for women over 50.
Every chapter of life comes with its challenges. As a woman in my early 20s, I found sorting out finances, friend dynamics, and community to occupy much of my mind.
But as women enter their 60s and beyond, it often seems that their entire life is transforming in ways that can be scary, exciting, and liberating all at the same time. Many in this age group find themselves entering retirement or a period of limited work. They may welcome the birth of grandchildren or the addition of sons-in-law and daughters-in-law into their families. Tragically, they may have to mourn the loss of a spouse, family, and friends. They likely find themselves more conscious of their health than ever before.
Perhaps most surprisingly for many women, the way society views you changes with age. Ageism affects women poorly, and it can adversely affect a woman’s self-esteem. But with the help and support of other strong women, you can age with confidence and grace.
Influencer, blogger, author, and entrepreneur Susan “Honey” Good is there to help women find clarity and community in age. At age 60, Honey completely changed her life. “I decided I would keep a journal for three months to find my voice, though I had never written anything before,” Honey said. “A friend told me she thought I should be on the internet. I had to work hard, but it opened up my life.”
Honey’s website and community groups create a space for women over 50 to get advice, be entertained and feel less alone. Honey’s sage words range from style and beauty tips to relationship advice to vulnerable revelations about handling widowhood. Her work helps women feel seen and recognize the agency they still have in their lives.
In recognition of her impactful work, Honey is one of only a dozen women bloggers over 50 selected for the Marquis Who’s Who list. She was named a Top 50 Over 50 Influencer by the UK-based Platinum magazine, profiled in a major article about women’s multi-general groups in The Sunday New York Times, and selected as one of the Fierce 50 Over 50 Women by Chicago Woman magazine. Her blog was named Best Grandparent Website by Grand magazine and a Best Baby Boomer Blog by Feedspot.com. She also won the National Parenting Product Award for her interactive keepsake journal, Stories for My Grandchild: A Grandmother’s Journal, published by Abrams Noterie in New York. Abrams invited her to write the book because they said she’s a “Cool 21st Century Grandmother” who openly shares her own experiences, ancestry, lessons and love that can be passed down to grandchildren and their children.
“Women need women, and women learn from other women,” Honey said. “After 55, many women start feeling invisible, and when you feel invisible, you become lonely. I write in a positive manner because I don’t want women to be lonely.”
Through the help of Honey’s blog and other tools, you can work through feelings of loneliness and turn them into feelings of empowerment.
Honey understands how lonely your senior years can be. Widowed once herself, Honey is quick to acknowledge the many women who are single later in life. Whether you were widowed, divorced, or never married, aging alone can be emotionally challenging. You may crave romantic affection or simply miss the company.
In addition to her advice, Honey has improved her readers’ lives by providing them with a community of kind and supportive older women seeking friendship and camaraderie. Honey has seen how important having meaningful female friendships is in her own life, and she has dedicated herself to helping other women find friends and community.
Honey’s followers connect in her private Facebook group called Celebrate Life After 50 as well as through the advice and stories they read on honeygood.com.
Celebrate Life After 50 is for women over 50, and the average member is 65. Women from all walks of life can connect and build friendships in the group. They have even created subgroups for women with shared backgrounds, interests, or struggles. There is a group for widows to support each other.
Many people get stuck in the same rut year after year, feeling like they have to stick with the same hobbies, careers, and identities they had when they were younger. But in reality, you’re never too old to change the circumstances that no longer serve you.
Honey told us about a friend of hers who has since passed away. Honey’s friend worked as a newspaper reporter for most of her life in New York City. She loved her work and the city, but one day, she realized she had begun to feel invisible in society. She would walk down the street on her way to work, and no one would notice her. She told her husband she wanted to move away and start over. The couple sold their home and moved to Palm Springs.
“She fit right in and was so happy,” Honey said. “She went into a new business at 65, which is when I met her. She told me to remember this: every 10 years, change yourself and have something new.”
Your change doesn’t need to be as big as moving across the country and starting a new job. You can start smaller. Pick up a new hobby, get a new haircut, or even work on being kinder. Make new friends, and move on from relationships that continually hurt you. Just because you’ve been doing something all your life doesn’t mean it needs to stay that way.
Honey said she has benefited from befriending people across multiple generations and learning from their experiences and perspectives. She encourages women to step outside their comfort zones and try making new younger friends or joining new communities that make them feel fulfilled and seen.
“If a woman is curious and lives outside the box, she can attempt to do anything,” Honey said.
Many women are unsure how to handle getting older. They may see their 50s and beyond as a dark time with fewer options. If they’re single, they may think there’s no way for them to get back into a relationship or feel less alone. But that couldn’t be less true. As you age, you likely have more time and capacity to think about your relationships, interests, and what you do with your time. If you want to make a change, you absolutely can.
Honey knows how much the wisdom of age and experience has bettered her life and confidence. She believes older women can find joy, adventure, and support as they age. If they want to enter a new relationship, they absolutely can. “Older and younger men are looking for women with substance,” Honey said. “I think an older woman can be quite attractive. There’s a charm in being older — you’re worldly, and you’ve experienced life.”
Honey’s website is full of helpful tips, so it’s no surprise that she has some concrete ideas for how older women can get back into dating. “Join a group!” Honey said. “If you like wine, you could join a mixed-gender wine group. There are all types of groups out there, and that would probably be the best way to initiate a relationship besides staying home and going on a site.” When you meet your partner through a social group, you not only find a romantic connection but new friendships as well.
Whether you enjoy the independence of being single in your 60s or are happily married, you can find an extended network of hopeful and interesting women through the Honey Good community.
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