Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined

Susan Reed, PhD, age 70, has led a life of social-political actionsince her teens. She campaigned for McGovern and later forObama; interned with the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union;protested the Vietnam War; worked on social policy for equities inaging and health; and continues to teach adult college studentsabout ways to be civically engaged. Susan is a person who feels“responsible for problems” facing our city (Chicago) and country.She finds other people to be activists with her--for example, theGirlfriend Group, because “for me, political activism is social;social action can be fun.” On the home front, Susan continues tolearn how best to support her two adult daughters and, with herhusband, plan for how to ‘age in place.’" My goal is to help people be active citizens, especiallyduring really difficult times." Connect with Susan:sreed@depaul.edu

Born in Poland, Sara​ Levinson, 75,​ migrated to the United States in 1963 when she was 16. She traveled by ocean liner to Montreal and later moved to Chicago. She practices an open-ended thought process and has learned to go for any opportunity that comes her way.As a young mother raising children, Sara picked up a Nikon camera that she had used earlier and began photographing images while her children were at school. She realized her skills needed upgrading and began attending workshops and taking courses on her own. Her specialty is portraits and as her children grew, she became more and more serious about her craft, learning how to process, develop and print her film. In the beginning, it was strictly black & white. She ​soon moved to color and digital photography and ​continues to edit and manage all aspects of the creative process.Save the easiest places to travel for when you get older so you will never have to stop having amazing experiences. - Sara LevinsonSara takes exotic trips to unknown remote locations. She uses her lens to witness diverse spiritual ceremonies and customs. She has also been touched by the plight of discarded widows. Especially moved by their circumstances, she plans to return so she can hug every woman she meets, a forbidden action in many areas.A new project is called Beauty Past Its Prime and Sara is currently working out just how to bring it to fruition.

Diane Deaderick DeMartra, a professional who has worked in corporations, non-profits, and higher education, devotes her passions and talents to “enlighten,educate, and empower inner-city teen girls and young women, especially teenand young, single mothers at risk of continuing the intergenerational cycle ofpoverty and complex trauma that are rampant among women and children in theBlack community.” This is the mission of Just For You Girlfriend, the nonprofitorganization that Diane founded in 2017 and continues to lead. Having lived herpre-teen and teen years in ‘the projects’ in Chicago, Diane understands theenvironment where, without access to resources and support, many people “liveand die like they did in the projects--in abject poverty.” In 2022, Diane wrote abook to pass on crucial life lessons and wonderful witticisms learned from herown momma--Momma Wit: Words of wisdom, encouragement, inspiration, andlove. Diane lives each day with energy, enjoyment, and gratitude. "Connect with DianeEmail: dddemartra@gmail.comWebsite: https://www.justforyougirlfriend.orgBook: Momma Wit (available on website)

Amy Temperley’s passion centers on Active Aging--helping olderadults stay social, active, and engaged. As a life coach andconsultant, and entrepreneurial business owner, Amy focuses onhelping 60+ adults find their passion and continue to live, laugh andlearn. Amy is co-founder and CEO of Aging Is Cool and mostrecently, co-founder of A Mighty Good Time. She and her colleaguesfollow trends in areas such as technology (e.g., augmented reality)and brain health as they create more opportunities for older adults toengage fully in life.Connect with Amy:amy@amightygoodtime.comwww.AMightyGoodTime.comhttp://www.agingiscool.com

Betty Grebenschikoff, age 92 ½ , continues to speak out about the horrors of the Holocaust and her experiences as a refugee without a passport: from Germany to China to Australia and, finally, to the United States where she gained citizenship. At age 9, Betty was separated from her beloved friend, Ana Maria Wahrenberg, only to be reunited after 82 years--like “finding the end of the rainbow.” On a weekly basis, Betty (in Florida) and Ana Maria (in Chile) talk about their childhood, similar paths taken, commitment to telling their stories, and the joys of family and friends. As a long-time refugee, Betty learned to adapt to everyday hardships with the support of “family around me. We were the lucky ones who got through it.” Betty advises: “don’t take anything for granted, never travel without a passport, and appreciate that home is not a place-- it is a feeling of belonging with family.”There are very few of us left who can talk about the Holocaust; the lives of individuals,not just the numbers, have to be remembered. - Betty GrebenschikoffConnect with Betty:Website: www.bettygrebenschikoff.comMemoir: Once My Name Was Sara (1992), Original Seven Publishing Co.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfkDAk2IRPI. The New Reality: The Untold Story of How 2Best Friends Separated by the Nazis Reunited After 82 Years.https://www.holocaustedu.org/survivor-testimonies/in-my-own-words-with-betty-grebenshikoff/ Interviewed by daughter, Jennifer, Special Kristallnacht CommemorationProgramhttps://www.idcfl.org/betty-grebenschikoff-international (International Diplomatic Core ofFlorida)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK6WrOrL3j4 [Shanghai Ghetto, Part I]

The Upgrade is a gateway for the best years of our livesFor years, women have been told by society to dread the second half of life, with no support available beyond expensive ointments and procedures promising to reverse the signs of aging. But thanks to Dr. Louann Brizendine’s latest book: The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond, that’s all about to change. Dr. Brizendine, bestselling author of The Female Brain and The Male Brain, Lynne and Marc Benioff Endowed Chair in Clinical Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco and founder of UCSF’s Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic. delivers actionable, science-backed steps for preserving brain health. A Stanford Study affirms that people get happier with each decade of their lives up until their 90s. With compassionate and ongoing self-care we become more available to ourselves and others who need us. Diet, exercise, sleep and mindset all aid cognitive health. Dr. Brizendine shares intimate stories in a lively and upbeat way that emphasizes there is nothing selfish about paying attention to our bodies in order to be the best we can be. The Upgrade is a gateway for the best years of our lives - Dr Louann BrizendineThe Upgrade is the time of life where things get better. As your hormones change, the fluctuations that make things feel stressful float away and a new clarity takes hold. The hormone swings that helped you through childbearing and rearing are no longer needed. Your body chemistry adjusts to bring you calm, directness, and focus. You have time to focus on yourself again.

Why is grief so complicated and why does grieving take such a long time,possibly never ending? In The Grieving Brain (2022), renowned grief expert,neuroscientist, and psychologist, Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD, offers newperspectives on understanding love, loss, and learning. Complicated grief sets inwhen we cannot move into the natural healing process. Our brains need tolearn how to process grief and grieving, to deal with the paradox of our lovedone who feels here, yet physically is not here. Dr. O’Connor offers hope for howwe can learn how to navigate loss with more ease and grace.Connect with Mary-Frances O’Connor:Website: www.maryfrancesoconnor.com/bookBook: The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Loveand Loss (2022)YouTube. There are several. Eg.,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLh1F41RsM85 Things You Should Know About GriefKatie Couric MediaLearning from Grief and Loss (Video) PurposeCastTwitter: @doctormfoFaceBook: @maryfrancesoInstagram: @doctormfoconnorLinkedIn: Mary-Frances O’Connor

Donna Chacko, MD, practiced medicine for 40 years, first as a radiation oncologistand later, after retraining in her 50’s, as a family medicine doctor. While servingpeople faced with poverty and homelessness, she learned that health involves farmore than the absence of disease. Donna’s professional experiences and her ownemotional suffering during a difficult first marriage led her to create Serenity andHealth, offering programs and blogs that teach us all the things we can do to haveabundant health. She also wrote a spiritual memoir (2021), Pilgrimage: A Doctor’sHealing Journey, which is both memoir and instruction on being stewards of ourown health. Donna is at a new transition point which involves decisions aboutwriting a second book and living with her soon-to-be-retired second husband. I came to believe that people who have ‘a faith’ can use it to gain anabundance of health. - Donna Chacko MDConnect with Donna:email: dc@serenityandhealth.comWebsite: www.serenityandhealth.comPilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey (2021). Luminare. (Amazon; Barnes & Noble).

Before abortion was legalized by the US Supreme Court in 1973 (Roe v Wade), aChicago-based group of over 100 women--known as Jane--provided counselingand illegal abortions for 11,000 women (1969-1973). Rev. & Dr. Patricia Novick,age 75, was one of the original Janes. Patricia and founder Heather Booth areamong those featured in the illuminating film The Janes. In her conversation withWomen Over 70, Patricia dispels the public’s misconceptions about the Janes--who they were and who they served. Patricia situates the single issue of abortionrights in the larger context of social issues concerning justice, choice, privacy,autonomy, and personal freedom. Now, 50 years later, the Janes have reunited,and Patricia shares new information and ideas about ways to contribute to thegroundswell of activism. As older women, Patricia believes it is our job to be rolemodels for younger generations of activists.Living in a democratic, pluralistic society means that humans have theright to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives. - Dr. Rev. Patricia NovickConnect:pnovick@aliveltd.orgwww.womenover70.com P. Novick episode #025; Heather Booth episode #039The Janes (the film). On HBO and streaming on HBOMax.Planned Parenthood Action Fund (media.office@ppfa.org)Chicago Abortion Fund (chicagoabortionfund.org)

Nancy Watson’s entrepreneurial spirit has led her on different paths, always toward nurturing other people. Her 8-year long career as a teacher in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Chicago in the 1970s was interrupted by a 2-year stint as the contented owner of an antiques store. Cooking became Nancy’s outlet for dealing with the demands of teaching, leading eventually to a large-scale catering business that she owned for 25 years. At age 60, feeling like she was aging out of that industry, Nancy opened a B&B in Southwest Michigan where she enjoyed connecting more closely with her clients. Now Nancy can be found on  Florida’s gulf coast where she lives happily with her third husband, David, engaging in cultural and social events, being physically active, and still offering her gift of food. I love nurturing others, whether through teaching, antiquing, catering, lodging, or volunteering. - Nancy WatsonConnect with Nancy:nsw29cook@gmail.comNancy grew up in Highland Park, IL  #SitDownAmerica