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Walking With my Mom

The Gift of 60

Have you ever heard a man talk about how long he thinks he will live based on the age his father died? I certainly have. In fact, I heard my dad do it for years. Men who lose their fathers often keep one eye on the calendar. As they approach the age their dad was when he died, they naturally begin to wonder what lies ahead.

However, I had never heard a woman talk that way. Until now. My mom died at the age of 60. This past week I turned 60. To say that number hasn’t been on my mind would be a lie. For years, I thought this was something only men did. Then suddenly, I found myself standing at the exact age where my mother’s story ended. That realization has stayed with me and made this birthday sit a little different.

Looking Back

When my mom died, I was only 35 years old. At the time, she didn’t seem old at all. She was a grandmother to three children and was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a fourth grandchild. More importantly, she was thriving.

Joy followed my mother everywhere. She laughed easily, loved deeply, and shared wisdom without ever preaching. Most of all, she had reached a wonderful season of life where she was finally doing what she wanted to do. By then, worries had loosened their grip.

The children were grown. Financial concerns had settled down. Other people’s opinions mattered less. Instead, she focused on what brought her happiness: traveling, working, spending time with friends, and loving her grandchildren. In short, it was finally her time.

Now that I have arrived at this same age, I finally understand what she was feeling. I especially miss her this birthday.

When Time Feels Different

Women spend so much of their lives caring for others. First come the children. Then there are spouses, careers, friendships, volunteer commitments, and eventually aging parents. Meanwhile, the years seem to move faster and faster.

Before long, you wake up and realize you are 60. Something shifts. Suddenly, time feels a little more precious. An alarm bell quietly rings somewhere in the distance. As a result, you start asking different questions.  How many more chances will I have to ski, hike, travel, laugh, and explore?

Perhaps that is why turning 60 feels different. It isn’t really about the number. Instead, it is about recognizing that time is a gift. I am reminded of that old soap opera opening: “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”

At this stage, there is clearly less sand in the top half than there is in the bottom. Therefore, paying attention feels more important than ever.

Choosing Adventure

Age isn’t a number. Rather, age is an attitude. Even more than that, age is energy.

Each day gives us a choice. We can stay comfortable, or we can keep growing. We can sleep in, or we can get up before sunrise and walk with friends. We can avoid risk, or we can choose adventure. Unfortunately, comfort can quietly become a habit.

Even after tearing my calf while skiing this year, I still cannot wait to get back on a mountain. Recovery has been slow. Some days have been frustrating. Nevertheless, I would rather risk getting hurt doing something I love than spend my life sitting on the sidelines. That choice matters.

Interestingly, my mother lived the same way.

Whether it was walking the Rose Bowl with girlfriends at dawn, swimming in a cold lake, or saying yes to another trip, she kept choosing life. While many people slow down, she leaned in. As a result, she showed all of us what was possible.

Walking With My Mom

I spent ten days walking the Camino de Santiago. Throughout the journey, thoughts of my mother were never far away. In fact, I felt her presence almost every day.

During difficult climbs, I thought about her strength. Whenever my legs were tired, I imagined her cheering me forward just as she always had. Because of that, the trip became far more than a physical journey. It became a gift.

Perhaps the cord between parent and child is never truly cut. Even after death, something remains. Love remains. Memory remains. Connection remains. As I walked through Portugal and Spain, that connection felt stronger than ever. Although she was not physically beside me, I felt her encouragement in countless moments.

Without question, that was one of the greatest gifts of turning 60.

The Gift Is This

After all the reflection, the lesson feels surprisingly simple:

Live.

Not someday. Not when the timing is better. Not when the to-do list is finished.

Live now.

Feed your soul. Nurture your spirit. Call the friend. Take the trip. Watch the hummingbird. Eat the good bread. Furthermore, don’t rush through the small moments. Enjoy the blue sky. Listen to the song you love. Savor a great conversation. Laugh a little longer than necessary.

Those gifts are all around us.

Unfortunately, we are all moving too fast to notice. The Camino reminded me to slow down. It taught me to listen more carefully, notice more deeply, and appreciate more fully. Although daily life makes that harder, the lesson remains the same.

Slow down. Pay attention. Find joy. Choose gratitude. Most importantly, choose life.

My mother’s journey ended at 60. Mine feels like it is just beginning.

As I step into this new decade, I am not focused on how much sand remains in the hourglass. Instead, how I want to make every grain count. Because if turning 60 has taught me anything, it is this: Life is precious and life is short. Joy is available, if we look for it. And every single day is an invitation to fully live. The choice is ours….

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

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Charity Matters Inspiration

The Journey Ahead

Walking Into 60

For the past few months, I honestly wasn’t sure what this summer would look like. After my ski accident in February, life suddenly became much smaller. There were surgeries, crutches, a boot, physical therapy appointments, and countless frustrating moments simply trying to do the basic things we all take for granted. As a result, my world slowed down in ways I never expected. When you go from moving freely through life to struggling to take a single step, perspective changes quickly.

That is why preparing to leave for the Camino feels emotional in ways I never anticipated.

In just a few days, I will head to Portugal with dear friends to begin walking the Camino de Santiago as part of celebrating my 60th birthday. Even writing those words feels surreal. Only a few months ago, I couldn’t walk at all. Now, however, I am preparing to walk one of the world’s most historic pilgrimage routes one step at a time. Honestly, it feels like such a gift.

The Journey Ahead

For centuries, pilgrims from around the world have walked the Camino searching for something meaningful. Some walk for healing, while others seek faith, clarity, forgiveness, adventure, or transformation. Along the way, each traveler carries their own burdens, hopes, questions, and stories.

Lately, people keep asking me what I am hoping to find on this journey.

The truth is, I’m not walking in search of anything.

Instead, I hope to simply be present enough to receive whatever the journey wants to offer. Somewhere along the road between Portugal and Spain, between quiet mornings and aching feet, between laughter with friends and moments of silence, I trust there will be lessons waiting.

After all, life teaches us when we slow down enough to listen.

Perhaps that is why the Camino has drawn people in for generations. In a world that constantly tells us to hurry, produce, achieve, and consume, the Camino invites something entirely different. Walk slowly. Carry only what you need. Notice the people beside you. Pay attention to the beauty around you. Trust the next step.

There is something deeply beautiful about that rhythm.

As I stand on the edge of turning 60, I realize this season of life may be inviting the same thing. Less rushing and more presence. Less proving and more gratitude. Less noise and more purpose.

Lessons From Recovery

Without question, these past few months have reminded me repeatedly that health is not something to take for granted. In addition, community matters deeply. Purpose matters too. During difficult moments, you quickly discover who truly shows up for you.

Some people text encouragement. Others pray faithfully. Many bring meals, offer support, or simply remind you not to give up. Throughout this recovery, I have felt incredibly carried by love.

At the same time, another unexpected gift arrived this week that left me emotional in the very best way.

The Charity Matters Podcast was recognized by Million Podcasts in multiple national rankings for 2026:
#7 Best Charity Podcast in the United States
#15 Best Philanthropy Podcast
#44 Best Nonprofit Podcast

Additionally, the podcast was recognized in categories focused on changemakers, social impact, advocacy, kindness, nonprofit leadership, and philanthropy.

Gratitude For This Community

When I first started Charity Matters all those years ago, my only hope was to shine a light on good people doing extraordinary things to help others. Back then, I never imagined where this journey would lead. More importantly, I could never have imagined the incredible community that would grow from it.

According to Million Podcasts, their rankings are based on audience engagement, consistency, authority within the space, ratings, reviews, and podcast activity. Behind every one of those statistics are real people. More specifically, all of you.

Many of you listen faithfully each week.
Others generously share stories and encourage friends to tune in.
Still more continue showing up because you believe kindness matters and goodness matters. Because of this community, we continue putting more good into the world together.

That recognition felt like the most beautiful early birthday gift because it reminded me that this work matters. Stories matter. Encouragement matters. Service matters. Most importantly, goodness matters.

Buen Camino

As I head off toward Portugal and begin walking into this next decade of life, my heart is filled with gratitude. Gratitude for healing. Gratitude for friendship. Gratitude for this beautiful community. Most of all, gratitude for every lesson these difficult months have brought.

Although I don’t know exactly what the Camino will teach me yet, I do know this: life itself is a pilgrimage. In one way or another, we are all walking each other home.

If I have learned anything over these past sixty years, it is that the journey becomes infinitely more meaningful when we walk it with love, purpose, faith, and kindness.

I promise to share more reflections when I return.

Until then…Buen Camino.

Charity Matters

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What Matters?

Progress not perfection: A 2026 Progress Report

 

At the beginning of this year, I shared something very personal with you. I shared my dreams for 2026 and my commitment to making this year different. Not because last year was bad, but because sometimes life calls us to step forward more intentionally. And as I approach a milestone birthday, turning sixty next month, I knew deep down that I wanted to close out this decade with purpose, courage, and a little bit of adventure.

So today is simply a progress report.

Since July of 2011, you have walked alongside me on this journey through Charity Matters. You have been my sounding board, my encouragement, my accountability partners, and quite honestly, my inspiration. When I wrote my Dreams for 2026 post, it felt a bit like standing at the edge of a new chapter. I wasn’t entirely sure what it would look like, but I knew that if I was going to dream big, I needed to act.

The first promise I made to myself this year was to grow. To do something that scared me and stretched me in ways that show vulnerability. For me, that meant committing to something that both excites and terrifies me…..public speaking. I like to talk and maybe a little too much sometimes. While I do speak to nonprofit groups, leadership conferences, and audiences who care deeply about service. I really want to improve, to refine the message and  become a better storyteller.

In February, I committed to taking a public speaking class. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to get better. I wanted to sharpen the message of service that has changed my life and that sits at the heart of Charity Matters. I wanted to better craft the stories that remind people that helping others is not just something nice to do, it is often the very thing that heals us.

Each week in class we work on refining stories, clarifying our message, and identifying the tools we can give an audience so that they leave not only inspired but empowered to act. It has been challenging and invigorating all at the same time. Some days I leave feeling confident, other days humbled, but every week I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Because if we believe in growth, we have to be willing to do the work.

Like many of us, I set great New Year’s goals around health and fitness.  I had big plans…exercise, strength, preparation for the adventures ahead. And like so many things in life, those plans hit a bit of a detour. Right now, instead of running around at full speed, I find myself learning to walk again since my ski accident in February. The crutches are gone and now replaced with a cane.  This was certainly not part of the plan. In fact, if I’m honest, it has been a lesson in patience and humility. But as we all know, the best laid plans sometimes take their own path.

Healing takes time, and perhaps this is simply a reminder to slow down and listen to the body as much as the heart. There hasn’t been much choice.  I have been working so hard in physical therapy because I have had a clear goal for healing and regaining strength for what lies ahead. And what lies ahead is something I am incredibly excited about.

This year, in celebration of turning sixty, a group of friends and I will be traveling to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago together. If you have ever dreamed about walking the Camino, you know that it is more than just a physical journey. It is a pilgrimage. One that offers reflection, friendship, laughter, and a chance to reconnect with what matters most.

Until recently, it was a little unclear if I would be able to make it. Doctors said that I am good to go. As a result, I have been working so hard physically to rehab. This trip is the result of one of the best decisions  made this year  which was scheduling our fun first. Instead of waiting for the calendar to magically create space for joy, we put it there ourselves. We made the commitment to adventure, to friendship, and to celebration. Now life is simply filling in the cracks around those moments. And honestly, that might be one of the biggest lessons of this year so far.

Too often we plan work first and hope life fits in somewhere later. This year we flipped that script. We planned the joy, the connection,  the memories and the rest will come. So while the year is only mid way through, I can say this much:  this year has tested me in ways I have not been tested before. Growth is happening. Dreams are moving. Healing, physical therapy and training are all underway. And adventure is on the horizon.

Most importantly, I am reminded once again that dreams don’t come true simply because we write them down. They come to life because we take small, brave steps toward them each day. Thank you for continuing to walk this journey with me. As always, your encouragement reminds me that none of us dream alone.

And if the first few months of this year are any indication, 2026 is going to continue to test me and to stretch me.  Here is to hoping that we all come out stronger on the other side!

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2026 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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