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Originally posted at: Kyle Richards’ Denim and Black Dress

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Do you like to watch movies? Do you like to watch movies that star strong and confident older women? I love watching movies that break the standard narrative surrounding women over 60. Movies that give older women the front seat.

It used to be that women over 60 were automatically dismissed from Hollywood and the film industry. Producers and casting directors seemed to think that older women didn’t have any value to bring to a movie and cast younger women for roles that were intended for older women.

I’m sure glad times have changed and women over 60 and 70 all over the world are changing the narrative for themselves and all women. We are now seen and heard more and more as confident women star in movies and TV series.

Here are a few of my favorite movies starring strong, stylish, and confident women over 60.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Starring the fabulous Meryl Streep in one of her most iconic roles, Miranda Priestly – the illustrious and powerful New York City magazine fashion editor. Andy, played by Anne Hathaway, is an aspiring journalist who lands a job as one of Priestly’s assistants. Andy quickly realizes that she is an outsider in this dog-eat-dog fashion world and quickly learns the ropes by changing her style.

Meryl Streep’s role in The Devil Wears Prada earned her a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2016)

This coming-of-age romantic comedy starring Sally Fields is fresh and a must-watch. Doris is an eccentric woman in her 60s who has lived her entire life with her mother. After the death of her mother, she decides to romantically and awkwardly pursue a young co-worker which lands her in some clumsy situations.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Academy Award winners Judi Dench and Maggie Smith star in this beautiful comedy drama film about a group of British retirees who move to India to live in a luxury hotel. Turns out the hotel is not what they expected, and their lives are forever changed.

Also, the sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) is definitely worth watching as well.

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

Another great movie with a strong female leading role is Florence Foster Jenkins which is based on a true story and stars Meryl Streep. Set in 1944, Jenkins is ill and wants to pursue her longtime wish of having a singing career. Her singing is, well, not very good, but she manages to get herself on the stage of Carnegie Hall.

The comedy-drama earned a Best Costume Oscar nomination as well as a Best Actress nomination for Meryl Streep’s incredible performance.

Queen Bees (2021)

Starring Loretta Devine and Ellen Burstyn, Queen Bees is like “Mean Girls, but with medical alert bracelets.” The romantic comedy movie is set in a retirement home where comedic rivalry and budding romances take place.

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

The Joy Luck Club is an exquisitely beautiful movie about four women who leave their homeland in search of better lives in America. The movie is about the relationship the Chinese immigrant women have with their American-born children.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Jessica Tandy stars in the critically acclaimed movie Driving Miss Daisy, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. The movie explores the unexpected work/friendship relationship between a Jewish woman in her 70s with an African American man in his 60s.

Juanita (2019)

Alfre Woodard stars in this Netflix movie about a middle-aged woman who leaves her hometown in Ohio to rediscover and reinvent herself. She makes new friends at a native-owned French restaurant and rediscovers her romantic side.

Book Club (2018)

Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candace Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen star in this romantic comedy. The foursome read the book Fifty Shades of Grey as part of their monthly book club and see their lives and personal relationships change.

Watch for the sequel coming out in May 2023: Book Club: The Next Chapter

Calendar Girls (2003)

Calendar Girls is a British comedy starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters. The movie is based on a true story where a group of middle-aged women decides to raise money for Leukemia patients by creating a nude calendar.

I’ll See You in My Dreams (2015)

Blythe Danner stars as Carol, a widow who lives alone with her dog. After her dog dies, she decides to start dating – from the young pool guy to the charming wealthy older man with a yacht.

The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

Helen Mirren stars as a French restaurant owner who clashes with an Indian family opening a restaurant across the street. The film beautifully explores cultural differences and culinary delights.

Philomena (2013)

Starring Judi Dench, this drama follows an Irish woman who teams up with a journalist to find her son, who was taken from her decades earlier. The journey is filled with emotional discoveries and a deepening bond between the two.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)

Set in the 1950s, this charming comedy-drama follows Ada Harris, a widowed cleaning lady in London, who falls in love with a couture Dior dress. Determined to own one, she embarks on an adventure to Paris. Ada’s journey is filled with delightful encounters, personal growth, and a touch of magic as she navigates the world of high fashion and finds her place among the Parisian elite.

Wild Oats (2016)

Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange star in this comedy about a woman who mistakenly receives a life insurance check for $5 million. The friends embark on an adventure to the Canary Islands, embracing their newfound freedom.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you watched any of these movies? Which one is your favorite? Do you have any other movies with strong leading women to suggest? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Having already written about the benefits of strength training as we age, I thought I would continue on that subject and tell you a little bit about my own success in powerlifting.

Apart from when I was in my late teens, a period when I was severely overweight, I have kept myself fit and healthy through playing sports such as rugby and taking part in running events. I completed several half-marathon distance races over the course of 10 years and played rugby for a local ladies’ team.

My Journey Started with Kettlebells

I only discovered the benefits of weight training when I entered my 40s. I was interested in a local group that used kettlebells and decided to give it a try. If you don’t know what a kettlebell is, it is basically a weight on the end of a handle which you can swing, squat, press, and do many other exercises with.

I found the technique quite difficult to start with but, after perseverance and practice, I became much more confident and saw the difference it made to my body, my self-esteem, and my confidence. At that point, I hadn’t considered the possibility of any other form of lifting.

Next Came Deadlifting

A few years into my kettlebell journey, I was given the opportunity to try deadlifting, which involves lifting a bar with weights at each end from the floor to a standing position. To my surprise, I was pretty good at it, and I continued to practice mainly the deadlift for many years.

I got myself a coach who helped me to fine-tune my technique, and gradually my strength improved. I took part in some local competitions and managed to achieve a lift which allowed me to enter a national competition, which I won much to my surprise. That being said, not many women of my age were taking part in the sport.

Settling on a Combination

It is only over the last couple of years that I have found an interest in combining my deadlift with the squat and bench press and competing using all three lifts.

My training consists of three days of lifting a week. One session will concentrate on the squat and bench press, another will focus on the deadlift and bench press, and the final session will include all three lifts. Each session takes anywhere between two and three hours and also includes some warming up and mobility drills.

Entering a Local Competition

I started with a local competition to get a total big enough to enter at the national level and then entered the British Powerlifting Championships, which took place in Belfast in June 2023. I compete in the Masters 3 category for people between the ages of 60 and 69 and in the under 69kg weight class.

There is always a certain amount of stress involved in making the weight. I tend to spend most of my time a couple of kilos over the weight required and then need to cut down gradually so that I am just under the required weight on the day. I do get so very nervous.

Moving Up the Proverbial Ladder

I had a good day and managed to conquer my nerves, completing my lifts with 9 out of 9 successful attempts. I managed to squat 90kg, bench press 47.5kg, and deadlift 147.5kg. All lifts were personal bests compared to anything I had achieved previously.

I was then selected to be part of the British Powerlifting Team for the European Powerlifting Championships in Malaga, Spain. One of my dreams was to represent my country at the international level. I was over the moon .

Day of the Championship

I headed to Spain on the 11th of February, 2024, and competed on the 12th. I had never been in such an environment. To my wonder, I felt immense pride in putting on my British Powerlifting outfit. The competition at this level is very intense, and I had no idea if I would be able to overcome my nerves.

I came out with the same squat of 90kg, an increased bench press of 52.5kg, and a deadlift of 147.5kg, the same as at the British Championships. I secured a silver medal for my squat, a bronze for my bench, another silver for the deadlift, and an overall silver medal. Standing on the rostrum to receive my medals was amazing.

This journey has been incredible, and I hope my story inspires others to take up weightlifting or any other form of exercise, regardless of their age. Remember, it’s never too late to start, and the benefits are truly rewarding.

One note: Always consult your medical provider before you start any routine that is different from your current daily fitness habits.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What type of strength training have you tried so far? What is your motivation? In what ways have you felt benefits to your health and wellbeing?

Leaving a lasting legacy is not about the material possessions we accumulate, but rather the impact we make through our actions. The greatest legacy we can leave our children is happy memories.

It’s what we do, not what we have, that will create a lasting legacy.

When you think back on your life, who and what impacted you the most?

• Was it a prized heirloom given to you by a loved one that now sits on a shelf?
• Or was it a particular experience or series of experiences you had with that loved one that helped shape you?

For me, it was almost always the latter. One particularly fond memory is of me sitting at the kitchen table with my Polish grandmother, pinching pierogies. During the time we spent together, not only did I learn how to make one of our favorite family treats, but I also learned about strength, perseverance, faith, and true grit from a woman who grew up under Communist rule and who migrated to America at a young age.

Hers Is a Living Legacy; What She Taught Me Is Intangible

Through her eyes and our many conversations, I got to see for myself what fortitude and grit looked like. These lessons remain with me today. They impacted me in ways she will never know, but for which I am eternally grateful.

Before she passed away, she also wanted to give me her handwritten pierogi recipe, a recipe handed down to her from her own mother and grandmother. While seemingly minuscule, to me, that small tangible heirloom is priceless.

While I cherish that recipe written in her own hand, the time we spent together at our kitchen table has a far more lasting impact that I will carry with me throughout my lifetime.

In my  previous articles for this series, I focused on tangible heirlooms (our stuff) and how the younger generations, due to various influences and shifting values, are rebelling against our tradition of passing down our physical heirlooms as a means of preserving our cherished memories and traditions.

1^st Blog – “MOM, THANKS, BUT NO THANKS!”: THE REBELLION AGAINST FAMILY HEIRLOOMS

2^nd Blog – IT’S JUST GRANDMA’S OLD STUFF… UNTIL IT’S VINTAGE. THEN IT’S CHIC!

In this new article, I am focusing on intangible heirlooms, a timeless way of passing down family stories and customs without passing down our possessions.

Why Is Intangible Legacy Important?

It is intended to help:

• Bridge the generational gap of ideas, beliefs, behaviors, and values about family, heirlooms, and legacy.
• Shift our perspective by rethinking and expanding the definition of family heirlooms and the tradition of handing down physical items from generation to generation.
• Explore simple ways to connect generations, preserving cherished traditions through shared activities, experiences, conversations, and storytelling.
• Discuss the value of intangible heirlooms that enrich the lives of our loved ones by helping to foster family bonds and laying a foundation for future generations.

In our lifetime, many of us have been caught up in accumulating possessions and then sharing them with our children when we pass. Times are changing, and what our kids value is changing. Our kids live in smaller spaces and value collecting experiences rather than our stuff. We need to listen to their requests and reflect on what we can do to shift the narrative from leaving “stuff” to leaving a meaningful legacy that will ensure the cherished stories and traditions are not forgotten or overshadowed.

Of course, we can still pass down some of our cherished items, those tangible heirlooms, but when you reflect on what truly matters to you and what lasting impact you want to leave behind, ask yourself:

What Is the Lasting Impact, the Intangible Heirlooms, That I Want to Leave Behind?

The experiences you create with your kids and grandkids today will not only impact their present fun and enjoyment, but they will also impact the future memories they have and the stories they will tell for many years to come.

30 Opportunities to Connect Generations

#1: Cooking and Baking Together

Food is love. It is a powerful way to connect generations, teach new skills, and create lasting memories (e.g., Christmas cookies, ethnic foods like butter lambs, and pierogi).

#2: Holiday Gatherings

Celebrating holidays together creates opportunities to share food, fun, memories, and traditions (e.g., Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah).

#3: Family Celebrations

Sharing significant events together, both happy and sad, strengthens family bonds, connecting us on a deeper level (e.g., weddings, funerals, graduations).

#4: Family Dinners

There’s no place like the kitchen table to share, learn, ask advice, and exchange ideas. This teaches us the importance of family.

#5: Multigenerational Travel

Exploring new places, people, and cultures with parents, grandparents, and kids opens doors to conversations while sharing food, fun, and creating new memories.

#6: Family Vacations

Taking time to be together, having fun, relaxing, and learning generates many opportunities to have great conversations and create new memories together (e.g., beach, mountain vacations).

#7: Sports

Participating in sports together provides opportunities to learn new skills, spend time together, and have fun (e.g., golf, pickleball, tennis, swimming, walking, running).

#8: Sporting Events

Watching sports together provides opportunities to share a love of a particular sport, generating conversation and bonding (e.g., football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse).

#9: Hobbies

Doing hobbies together provides opportunities to learn new skills, develop common interests, and have fun creating something together (e.g., sewing, crafting, woodworking).

#10: Arts and Entertainment

Various entertainment mediums provide opportunities to experience something new together, enjoy time together, and connect on a deeper level (e.g., theater, museums).

#11: Gardening

Working in the yard provides an opportunity to share a love of nature, develop new skills, and learn to care for and nurture what we grow together (e.g., flower gardens, vegetable gardens).

#12: Household Chores

Sharing responsibilities for a household, contributing to your family, whether young or old creates bonds (e.g., doing the dishes, setting the table).

#13: Church and Spiritual Activities

Connect with your loved ones on a spiritual level, sharing your faith and beliefs, traditions, and customs (e.g., church on Sundays, celebrating spiritual holidays).

#14: Volunteering

Sharing your time and your gifts with others helps foster compassion and commitment to helping those in need (e.g., Meals on Wheels, serving food at a homeless shelter).

#15: Classes

Incorporating learning into our lives teaches the value of sharing knowledge, wisdom, and exchanging ideas so young and old can learn from each other (e.g., language, technology, cooking).

#16: Music

Music is a universal language that connects young and old (e.g., everyone singing around the piano).

#17: Granny and Grandpa Camp

Overnights at your home to spend time together, tell stories, learn about your family history and traditions, and receive advice and mentorship.

#18: Bedtime Stories

This evening ritual and commitment is an opportunity to spend quality time together, connect on a much deeper level, and learn from books or family stories.

#19: Writing and Journaling

Taking time to record family memories, stories, and exchange ideas creates respect for our past and learning about our roots.

#20: Movie Night

Teaches the importance of shared time and experiences, laughing, crying, and having fun together.

#21: Board Games and Card Games

Having fun, friendly competition teaches the value of family time together across all generations.

#22: Handyman Projects/Repairs

Handywork teaches valuable life skills that we can incorporate into our own lives. It also offers quality time together to have important conversations and share family values.

#23: Competitions

Competing is a healthy way to have fun together, create new memories through meaningful experiences, and teach discipline, sacrifice, and perseverance (e.g., 5k walks, marathons).

#24: Family Photos

Looking at family photos together inspires conversations, sharing stories that help preserve cherished memories. It also provides an opportunity to learn about our family history and connect to our roots.

#25: Finances and Investing

Discussing finances and investing is an opportunity to advise, mentor, and plan for the future. It also teaches discipline, sacrifice, and commitment to goals.

#26: Technology

This is an opportunity for the younger generation to share their knowledge and skills with the older generation, teaching them that we all learn from each other.

#27: FaceTime

This is an opportunity to stay in touch regardless of the distance, sharing about our lives together.

#28: Treasure Hunts in Grandma’s Attic

Looking through the attic creates an opportunity to explore family heirlooms, listen to family stories, and ask questions about your roots. This opens our eyes to family treasures, connecting us on a much deeper level.

#29: Crafting

Sharing an activity you love, teaching new skills, and creating something together is a unique bonding experience.

#30: Emails and Texts

This provides an opportunity to stay connected, regardless of the distance, sharing what’s happening in your lives. The result is a continuous bond.

Stuff Does Not Remain

When we die, our possessions will be left behind and most won’t be cherished. What we will be remembered for will be:

• The love we shared.
• The laughter we brought.
• The lives we’ve touched.
• The memories we’ve made.

I encourage you to take time to reflect on the impact you want to leave behind. Prioritize actions that can change lives by the way you live each day.

It might seem challenging to get our younger and older generations to connect and share experiences, family stories, and traditions, but what if I told you it’s the small, seemingly insignificant moments that we create each day that will be remembered long after you are gone? The experiences you create with your kids and grandkids today will not only impact their present fun and enjoyment, but they will also impact the future memories they have and the stories they will tell for many years to come.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Which of your stuff matter to your children and grandchildren? What about immaterial things? Does your legacy matter more? What about your stories and time together? Have you noticed your grandchildren showing favoritism to particular stories of your past?