The Gathering

Tao & Defiant Woman

The Weekly Wisdom
February 3

"In three words I can sum up
everything I've learned about life:
it goes on."

- Robert Frost
sent to us by Donna G.
thank you, again, Donna

Have a wisdom to share?

I have been very fortunate over these past years to have met, and worked with, some of the most amazing women around. They are writers and artists, performers, coaches and financial planners, publishers and psychotherapists.

Over these next few months, I would like to use this newsletter as a vehicle to highlight these wonderful women - for they are all people you should meet.

I would love to begin with a group that I have only recently started working with ( you can see my comments, blogs and daily tips on their site: www.womenetcetera,). Together Suzanne Caplan one of the founders of this site, and I, plan to travel around the country together - both virtually and physically - hoping to share with, learn from and give our insights to, as many of you as we can meet. Before we embark upon our combined efforts and I'd like to now give you a bit more background information about the wonderful women at WomenEtcetera. They are a necessary and vital community. I am proud to be playing even a small role within this far-reaching and rapidly growing program.

Keep reading - for just after the Wisdom of the Month you will get to meet this terrific group.

Spread the word – please remember to forward this issue of THE GATHERING to your friends!

Used to be that women over 50 were expected to slow down and become matronly grandmothers. They were supposed to find mild-mannered hobbies to quietly bide their time while growing old. Well, scrap that concept!! A new company formed by women for women is launching a national website and community expressly for women over 50 who don’t buy into that boring role.

WOMENetcetera!, online at www.womenetcetera.com, is poised to become ‘the go-to’ place not only for social networking and relationship building but also for serious topics like work and careers, financial security and medical issues.

Suzanne Caplan, a successful business writer, mentoring consultant and co-founder of Women ETC Inc. believes the web is not being used to its fullest potential by those over 50. That’s why her company has designed its internet-based community to meet the interests of today’s modern, mature woman.

“This is not your grandma’s cookie company,” says Caplan. “Today’s mature women are not just sitting around trying to stay busy in between visits from the grandkids. They’re vibrant, active and experiencing a liberating new phase of their lives. They’re pursuing interests and opportunities they couldn’t take when they were younger and meeting everyone else’s needs.”

WOMENetcetera! stretches beyond the internet and into real communities. Company leaders will recruit and train a group of women to present programs on wellness, life planning and balance, financial enhancement and welcoming new opportunities. They will also form local community chapters, encouraging women to develop actual face-to-face individual relationships and support networks. This personal interaction will bring vitality to the participating women and to their communities as well.

“Our programming incorporates life experience and its effect on the choices that women have made in their lives,” says Caplan. “We’re like the Girl Scouts for grownups. In Girl Scouts you learned and had fun. We do the same thing by offering informational programs that range from health concerns to financial literacy, to second or third careers. Plus the social factor is akin to sitting around the campfire with your friends.”

WOMENetcetera! is also a business opportunity. Ultimately, the site’s prominent national presence will include webinars as well as blogs and daily updates on news and events that are important to mature women. The company will also feature local learning programs and other benefits that will make it a ‘one stop shop’ for clients who will pay monthly fees for membership and modest fees for programming.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2008 - 1:00
WELLESLEY

Romance Writers of New England
Wellesley Community Center

From time to time I am overwhelmed with work and think, "well, no one will notice if I don't send out a newsletter this month". And then I muster up the energy to write a new one - if not at the beginning of the month, then close to it) and receive a positive comment about the newest newsletter from of you Tao and defiant women out there. And I know I will continue making plans for the next month.

I thank you for reading the newsletters. I thank you for sending your kind words and commentary. And I thank you, most of all, for remaining Tao and defiant women and helping to spread our message to others out there.