Nora 102 1/2: A Lesson on Aging Well

"This is the most inspiring book I've read in ages." "I read this book twice and know I'll read it again."

Comments like these continue to come in about this book that shows an ordinary woman's journey toward blossoming into personal fulfillment that began during her senior years. Nora Shaw, widowed former teacher and social worker and my mom, found her days ignited after she reached sixty. Even while macular degeneration ate away at her vision, her joie de vivre lasted well into her one hundredth year. It's what made countless people say, "You're my hero. I want to be just like you." And The Tonight Show with Jay Leno wanted her on the program once they learned about her senior years.

Our mayor learned to dance so he could dance with her at her 100th birthday party. "Nora, I'll dance with you again when you're 110," he said.

She grinned and touched a finger to his chest. "I'll hold you to that."

I watched during her late years as she gave herself permission to step out of her comfort zone. She could be free to be herself—and surprisingly, that self turned out to be fun. She enjoyed the limelight. My mother? My stilted Catholic mother?

It's never too late, she and countless others of us learned. The way she lived her senior years can show anyone how to live a much fuller life. I do hope you'll enjoy it and enjoy your own aging more.