50 Fierce Women Over 50

By Susan “Honey” Good

I had the honor and the pleasure to represent a generation of Fierce Women Over 50 in Chicago Woman Magazine. I am humbled by the honor and proud to be in the company of forty-nine other community leaders.

How I Became A Fierce Woman Over 50

My publicist, Susan, forwarded me an email from the Editor of Chicago Woman Magazine. The email read, “You have been nominated to be in our magazine as one of Chicago’s Fierce Women Over 50.”

Susan instructed me to answer a list of questions, one asking me to explain, why I am a Fierce Women Over 50.

I remember staring at the email as several thoughts ran through my mind…

“Me, a fierce woman?! I am anything but fierce!”

“How am I going to answer this question?””

I am always seeking answers to my questions so I immediately went to my dictionary and looked up the definition of fierce which reads, and I kid you not, “ferocious, savage, vicious, aggressive, cutthroat, competitive, intense, relentless, ass-kicking!”

Two days later with a deadline hanging over my head, I sat down on our cozy couch with laptop in hand to figure out an answer to why I am a fierce woman over 50. Next to me lay my darling pooch Orchid who looked up at me with such love and devotion and suddenly, the definition of the word FIERCE became so very positive.

Devotion and love between Orchid and me are FIERCE.

I smiled because I lived into my answer.

My fingers hit the keyboard of my beloved Apple, and almost effortlessly, I wrote the below.

Why I am a Fierce Woman Over 50.

I am fierce because, above all else, I am a visible and relevant woman.

I am fierce because as a woman, my femininity is my greatest asset.

I am fierce because my word is my bond.

I am fierce because I give back.

I am fierce because everything I do is with purpose and often with passion.

I am fierce because I am passionate, through my writing on Honeygood.com, about helping tens of thousands of women (nearly 150,000 followers) learn to lead magical lives after 50.

I am fierce because I use my power in a soft manner.

I am fierce because I am loyal.

I am fierce because I see life as a series of challenges, not problems.

I am fierce because I walk on the sunny side of the street.

I am fierce because my top priority is my husband and my family.

I am fierce because I am worldly.

I am fierce because I know inner beauty surpasses outer beauty.

And most importantly, I am fierce because I am grateful.

What do you love the most about this time in your life?

I love my lifestyle. I love and am loved by my husband, Sheldon Good, whom I call my “ultimate concierge”; there’s nothing he would not do for me. I am blessed with a blended family which I love and its members love me and they blend well with one another. I love my home that I share with my husband and our beloved pooch, Orchid, on the 71st floor of our condo overlooking the lake, the harbor and my beautiful Chicago — its ‘gorgeousness’ makes me smile. I love that I have survived so many things. “I am a most grateful woman.”

Please name three other fierce women over 50 that you admire.

1. Barbara Walters: My husband and I were leaving the restaurant, La Grenouille, in New York. I noticed a woman signaling me to her table. It was Barbara Walters. When I reached her side, she paid me a lovely compliment. I returned one. My take away from our chance encounter: fierce women ‘gift’ compliments to other women.
2. Anne Morrow Lindbergh: When I was in my early twenties, a close girlfriend gave me a present, Gift from the Sea, written by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, author and wife of Aviator Charles Lindbergh. It still sits on my night table. Lindbergh’s musings on the shape of a woman’s life brings understanding at any stage of life.
3. My mother: My mother is my role model. I owe her my moral code and my true grit to want to remain visible and relevant at every age. She is 96 years young.

What book do you think every woman should read?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It has the key to secrets of a positive existence and its lessons inspire me to live my dreams. I have gifted this book to several of my grandchildren.

What is your favorite spot in the city for a night out?

I do not have a favorite spot for a night out in Chicago because I love to take in all of our city’s different scenes, foods and venues. I love romance, savoring duck and fine outdoor dining at Shanghai Terrace at the Peninsula. I enjoy Gene & Georgetti and Gibsons because New York strips and al dente pasta combined with an evening of gaiety makes me smile. I love the homemade hot dogs at the Four Seasons and its quiet and intimate atmosphere for dining with my husband. I am in awe and delighted sitting in my seat weekly at Millennium Park. I just love the roar of the city combined with the sounds of Mozart, Bach or Beethoven.

You may read my feature, if you live in Chicagoland, by picking up this month’s Chicago Woman Magazine. Or, you may read my story online here. Better yet, peruse the entire list of Fierce Women Over 50 here. 

What makes YOU a Fierce Women Over 50? Do tell! Share your thoughts either in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Susan “Honey” Good is the founder of HoneyGood.com where this blog originally appeared. The site is a collection of lessons learned, life advice and insights from not only her, but from a fantastic group of contributing writers, each adding their own spice to the recipe. Honey Good.com representing “a family tree of women” — wives, mothers, daughters, granddaughters, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters, aunts, cousins and girlfriends — coming together to talk about what makes them tick as well as what they have in common. Honey Good discusses life experiences with wisdom, humor and intellect, enabling all to attain a “Honey Good Style of Life.”