This Deep Dive series is about reflecting on our trajectories as mothers - looking back, reflecting on where we are now, and thinking about the future. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.

What does it mean to have a midlife crisis? What exactly counts as "midlife," and (yikes) are we already in it? Can we avoid the disenchantment and the rash decision-making that stereotypically accompany such times in our lives?

A listener in our Facebook group asked:

"Who has been thru their midlife crisis and how did you deal? Turning 40 next week has me feeling like I've wasted my life. Can I get over the what-ifs?"

In this episode Amy and Margaret discuss:

• How American culture has changed its views on aging


• Why women and men experience midlife crises differently


• Why the age of your children might be the thing triggering your crisis

Here are links to some of the resources discussed in the episode:

• Howard P. Chudacoff: How old are you? Age consciousness in American culture
  


• Laurence Steinberg: Crossing Paths: How Your Child's Adolescence Triggers Your Own Crisis
  


• Mark Jackson: Life begins at 40: the demographic and cultural roots of the midlife crisis
  

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What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson.

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