395 Melinda Blau: Life is a Series of Nexts - Take Pride in Little Things

395 Melinda Blau: Life is a Series of Nexts - Take Pride in Little Things

From Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined by Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau

August 25, 2026 · 34 min · Season 7

About this episode

Melinda Blau reflects on her experiences and the lessons learned from older women as she navigates her own aging journey.

For much of her life, writer Melinda Blau, 82, was curious about older women. Now she is discovering what it means to be one. Melinda began her career in educational publishing, where writers don’t have to worry about word count. Later, working on her first magazine piece for New York, her editor, T. George Harris challenged her: “You skip through life. Why are you lumbering on paper?” It was one of many lessons in a lifelong writing career—and a reminder that there is always something new to learn. That same curiosity eventually drew Melinda to nine older women whose friendships profoundly influenced her life. They became the inspiration for “The Wisdom Whisperers.” Henrietta, legally blind and living to 99, into her 100s, became Melinda’s model for courage. Zelda still played tennis at 99 and walked three miles a day into her 100s. Marge, who might have been New York’s oldest Wall Street investor, was still managing her own portfolio at age 104. Melinda affectionately called them “my old ladies.” Each showed her something about resilience, independence, courage, and finding pleasure in the everyday. Their examples stayed with her as she faced her own losses, changes, and…

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