I love this, Elizabeth! I’m constantly reminding my adult kids (and even my friends) of the same thing—it’s so easy to start comparing our own journey to someone else’s.
Thank you for the great recipe for lamb & bean stew. ;-)
This is so lovely, Elizabeth! When I was younger I had a conversation with a lady in our community who was in her late 80s and had “done it all”: raised 5 kids, could fly a plane, scuba dived, was a senior national taekwondo champ, was in square dancing competitions, and more. I asked her how she managed to accomplish all that and she said, “Well, I didn’t do all that at the same time, everything had its season.” And that has always stuck with me!
This was such an inspiring read, Thank you- Elizabeth! I used to worry that ‘I haven’t peaked’ … and then that changed to “I will never peak”. Nowadays, I remind myself that if I am enjoying my life, then I am peaking. No need to compare with others. Living my life the best that I can each day, is enough. You have reminded me that - whatever it is I am meant to do, it is never too late. I just have to start, and keep going! The Lamb stew looks and sounds phenomenal too. Thank you so much for sharing!!
What a deep and Inspiring post Elizabeth. There are so many names who just keeps proving age is just a number. There js Japanese, the concept of a late bloomer is celebrated through the idiom Taiki Bansei (大器晩成), which literally means "A large vessel is completed late". It implies that great talent requires a significant amount of time to reach its full, magnificent form much like a large, intricate work of art cannot be rushed.
I love that Harshita! In a way it reminds me of the art of kintsugi, repairing pottery and making it stronger with lacquered gold. The idea that broken, repaired objects are more beautiful and resilient than new ones, honouring the object's history and imperfections, is something we can learn from, isn't it? 💕
Giovanna, I just responded to someone else below with this quote: "Life really does begin at 40. Up until then, you are just doing research." You're just getting started! 💕
A lovely post and rich possibilities to explore in this series Elizabeth. My approach to aging or rather advancing through life is to embrace it with grace. Amongst my oldest friends(most enduring) my approach is rare, but I do have some company with the way I approach it.
I love to listen to older people speak on issues they’ve spent a lifetime studying and thinking about. I will stop what I’m doing to take it in.
It's so true, Lisa. We have a wonderful friend that we met quite by happenstance three years ago , who just turned 92. Stan is funny, sharp, interested, curious and has a busier social life than we do. Whether it's the opera, symphony, a play or a recital, many evenings find him out on the town. We have been so blessed to have him in our lives, to be able to learn from about how to live with grace and generosity, something we don't take for granted.
I couldnt have said this any better. Julia Child is a huge inspiration to me for this very reason. I am 40 next year and I feel am just getting started. Beautifully written and thanks for sharing this with us
You are! There's a wonderful quote that I was going to use in the post (and may use in the weeks ahead), widely attributed to Carl Jung: "Life really does begin at 40. Up until then, you are just doing research." Love that sentiment 💕
I love your reflections on this important topic and want to know what comes next. One of my favourite writers, Penelope Fitzgerald, published her first novel at 60. The slow-cooked stew is a perfect metaphor.
You hit upon a fascinating aspect of life, Elizabeth. And yes, that’s why Julia Child continues to be in our consciousness. In the similar vein, Madhur Jaffrey also did not know the “c” of cooking till she went as an adult to drama school. Here out of necessity & bad food in her school canteen, she learned to cook from her mother’s letters. And still considers herself an actor first. That’s why she is the accidental ambassador of Indian cuisine. This is a great post. I’m currently reading Lugma & am loving it.
What a beautiful and reassuring post Elizabeth! It has made me feel very positive on this rainy Monday morning, thank you. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Love this reflection, and I am learning from your wisdom, Elizabeth. :)
I appreciate your invitation to me (and all the readers) to reflect and share. In short, I am on a path to what I call “discovering my true values and making them my lived values,” as well as “following my bliss” (to quote Joseph Campbell).
For the first 22 years of my life, I was mostly living according to my family’s values and vision for what “success” is. Luckily, I met an awesome guy who is now my husband. Five (actually six, holy crap it’s 2026) years ago, he suggested we quit our jobs to take a gap year. Well, we finally did that in late 2024, and now, I am pursuing my passion for sharing food and stories. I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, but I feel like I’m on a worthwhile path. :)
I’m excited to read the rest of this series and interested to hear about where you are, too.
Also, Noor was mentioned to me a few months ago by a chef I met in San Francisco. (Funnily enough, he also reinvented himself and went to culinary school in his late twenties or early thirties after working in data analytics I think.) I’ve been meaning to check out her work. This stew sounds delicious. Thank you for mentioning Noor’s book. :)
Leslie, thank you so much for your note! I loved hearing about how that wonderful gap year has led to such a rich life for you and your husband. And your mouthwatering recipes look delicious (I have that gorgeous focaccia bookmarked for a future bake 😊).
I've had many twists and turns along the way, and there was a time when I envied those around me who forged their paths with a well-defined plan and clear goals in mind. It's only as my life has unfolded and I can look back that I recognize how many times not having a path led to new adventures I couldn't have imagined. No matter what I've done "for a living", I have always tried to live a creative life, and I have to say that the older I get, the richer it becomes.
I'm really so pleased that this post has resonated with so many people. Thank you for being here and being a reader 💕
Sharing a Substack quote found today from a Jeff Buckley song "The whole secret in searching for your own voice is to have faith in your deepest eccentricities, your dumbest banalities, your epic romanticism. Accept what’s inherently inside of you, without fear."
I love this, Elizabeth! I’m constantly reminding my adult kids (and even my friends) of the same thing—it’s so easy to start comparing our own journey to someone else’s.
Thank you for the great recipe for lamb & bean stew. ;-)
This is so lovely, Elizabeth! When I was younger I had a conversation with a lady in our community who was in her late 80s and had “done it all”: raised 5 kids, could fly a plane, scuba dived, was a senior national taekwondo champ, was in square dancing competitions, and more. I asked her how she managed to accomplish all that and she said, “Well, I didn’t do all that at the same time, everything had its season.” And that has always stuck with me!
I love that Betty! It’s a perfect way to think of it all 💕
Love this!! I’ve definitely gone through a huge career shift later in life, and this makes me feel even more hopeful that “the best is yet to come.” 😊
I feel both inspired and validated after reading this. Cheers!
This was such an inspiring read, Thank you- Elizabeth! I used to worry that ‘I haven’t peaked’ … and then that changed to “I will never peak”. Nowadays, I remind myself that if I am enjoying my life, then I am peaking. No need to compare with others. Living my life the best that I can each day, is enough. You have reminded me that - whatever it is I am meant to do, it is never too late. I just have to start, and keep going! The Lamb stew looks and sounds phenomenal too. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Aki, I KNOW it isn't too late! You have too much passion, curiosity and many stories still to tell--and to live. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post 💕
What a deep and Inspiring post Elizabeth. There are so many names who just keeps proving age is just a number. There js Japanese, the concept of a late bloomer is celebrated through the idiom Taiki Bansei (大器晩成), which literally means "A large vessel is completed late". It implies that great talent requires a significant amount of time to reach its full, magnificent form much like a large, intricate work of art cannot be rushed.
I love that Harshita! In a way it reminds me of the art of kintsugi, repairing pottery and making it stronger with lacquered gold. The idea that broken, repaired objects are more beautiful and resilient than new ones, honouring the object's history and imperfections, is something we can learn from, isn't it? 💕
Trusting the timing here 🤍 it’s not always easy, though.
Giovanna, I just responded to someone else below with this quote: "Life really does begin at 40. Up until then, you are just doing research." You're just getting started! 💕
A lovely post and rich possibilities to explore in this series Elizabeth. My approach to aging or rather advancing through life is to embrace it with grace. Amongst my oldest friends(most enduring) my approach is rare, but I do have some company with the way I approach it.
I love to listen to older people speak on issues they’ve spent a lifetime studying and thinking about. I will stop what I’m doing to take it in.
It's so true, Lisa. We have a wonderful friend that we met quite by happenstance three years ago , who just turned 92. Stan is funny, sharp, interested, curious and has a busier social life than we do. Whether it's the opera, symphony, a play or a recital, many evenings find him out on the town. We have been so blessed to have him in our lives, to be able to learn from about how to live with grace and generosity, something we don't take for granted.
I couldnt have said this any better. Julia Child is a huge inspiration to me for this very reason. I am 40 next year and I feel am just getting started. Beautifully written and thanks for sharing this with us
You are! There's a wonderful quote that I was going to use in the post (and may use in the weeks ahead), widely attributed to Carl Jung: "Life really does begin at 40. Up until then, you are just doing research." Love that sentiment 💕
I love your reflections on this important topic and want to know what comes next. One of my favourite writers, Penelope Fitzgerald, published her first novel at 60. The slow-cooked stew is a perfect metaphor.
Thank you dear friend. There’s always so much to contemplate, just as long as we don’t let it overwhelm and stop us in our tracks 🥰
Let's not do that.
Love this metaphor Amela.
You hit upon a fascinating aspect of life, Elizabeth. And yes, that’s why Julia Child continues to be in our consciousness. In the similar vein, Madhur Jaffrey also did not know the “c” of cooking till she went as an adult to drama school. Here out of necessity & bad food in her school canteen, she learned to cook from her mother’s letters. And still considers herself an actor first. That’s why she is the accidental ambassador of Indian cuisine. This is a great post. I’m currently reading Lugma & am loving it.
Yes--how could I forget about Madhur Jaffrey, someone I know we both admire greatly. Truly a life well and fully lived.
I agree about Lugma--it is wonderful to read and if this recipe is any indication, it will be one that gets well thumbed over time--it was fantastic.
Hoping to make her Burnt Aubergine recipe soon
What a beautiful and reassuring post Elizabeth! It has made me feel very positive on this rainy Monday morning, thank you. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Thank you dear Shell--so glad you enjoyed it! 💕
Love this reflection, and I am learning from your wisdom, Elizabeth. :)
I appreciate your invitation to me (and all the readers) to reflect and share. In short, I am on a path to what I call “discovering my true values and making them my lived values,” as well as “following my bliss” (to quote Joseph Campbell).
For the first 22 years of my life, I was mostly living according to my family’s values and vision for what “success” is. Luckily, I met an awesome guy who is now my husband. Five (actually six, holy crap it’s 2026) years ago, he suggested we quit our jobs to take a gap year. Well, we finally did that in late 2024, and now, I am pursuing my passion for sharing food and stories. I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, but I feel like I’m on a worthwhile path. :)
I’m excited to read the rest of this series and interested to hear about where you are, too.
Also, Noor was mentioned to me a few months ago by a chef I met in San Francisco. (Funnily enough, he also reinvented himself and went to culinary school in his late twenties or early thirties after working in data analytics I think.) I’ve been meaning to check out her work. This stew sounds delicious. Thank you for mentioning Noor’s book. :)
Leslie, thank you so much for your note! I loved hearing about how that wonderful gap year has led to such a rich life for you and your husband. And your mouthwatering recipes look delicious (I have that gorgeous focaccia bookmarked for a future bake 😊).
I've had many twists and turns along the way, and there was a time when I envied those around me who forged their paths with a well-defined plan and clear goals in mind. It's only as my life has unfolded and I can look back that I recognize how many times not having a path led to new adventures I couldn't have imagined. No matter what I've done "for a living", I have always tried to live a creative life, and I have to say that the older I get, the richer it becomes.
I'm really so pleased that this post has resonated with so many people. Thank you for being here and being a reader 💕
How inspiring. We have to keep our eyes on the horizon and don’t look down. The waves can make you sick.
Jan—YOU inspire me! You’re right—keeping our eyes on the horizon is a wise move 💕
Sharing a Substack quote found today from a Jeff Buckley song "The whole secret in searching for your own voice is to have faith in your deepest eccentricities, your dumbest banalities, your epic romanticism. Accept what’s inherently inside of you, without fear."
Love that quote Ellen. Thank you for sharing it 💕