Dear Rose # 51 - Midlife Imperfection: What 'Girls' Taught Me About Aging

Rose is an amalgam of us - women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who are looking for somewhere they are seen, heard and listened to.

Dear Rose,

I’m currently bingeing Girls, a TV show about twenty-something women living in New York. Even though I was in my twenties fifteen years before these characters, the vibe is the same: living and loving, putting everything on the line, making mistakes, being mixed up in drama, and starting to understand that your parents are humans, too.

I’m about the same age as the main characters’ parents now. The current storyline shows the mother finally getting her dream job while the father is coming out as gay. Both seem so human and so flawed, and it’s quite refreshing to watch.

Because besides all the other shitty things about getting older, the hardest thing about being in my fifties is feeling like I should have it all together. And I don’t.

I feel like I should have plenty of money in the bank. I should’ve met the love of my life or at least want to. I should have a trip to Europe booked every second year, and I should know exactly what I want from my life.

But I don’t. And according to Girls, that might be pretty normal.

Love, Em xx