Sitting at my desk today I am torn between writing two very different articles. On the one half, for the Second Half, it is very pertinent to talk about death and dying. What are strategies to get beyond the fear and take care of what needs to happen for your loved ones shortly thereafter. At the same time, I want to set the tone for the Second Half as the better half of life. I want to celebrate the great wisdom and experience of people over fifty. I want to talk about longer life spans, change in retirement patterns, changes in giving patterns, and how to have a fulfilling retirement. In fact my original idea for this month's Second Half was to focus on how people over fifty don't retire anymore. They don't lay down, lay low, and relax for the rest of their lives. Instead they attain some degree of financial independence and seek out a different sort of life. A post-career freedom. A grand opportunity to make a big difference in the world.

Yet, I have a strange feeling that these two things are not the disparate concepts I thought they were. First, death. Yikes. That is scary for many of us. Ever met someone who isn't scared by the idea of death? There is something bizarrely transcendent and peaceful about them. There is something awe-inspiring about their freedom. And already we find the connection between an empowered “retirement” and accepting death. Freedom. The Second Half of life can be age of Freedom. The house might be paid for, the kids are off at college and the grandkids don't impose everyday. Or there aren't any kids at all. Yet death stands around the corner.

Once over fifty or is that sixty? My dad and my step-dad just turned seventy, so maybe it is seventy-five. Once over seventy-five you just don't know how long you have to live. You have watched friends and siblings pass. Perhaps you have finally become the matriarch or patriarch of the family. And that responsibility might not feel like freedom. Compare the choices we have today to the choices of our parents; it sure looks like freedom!

Death can be around the corner at any moment for all of us. It is what we choose to do with the time that we have while we are here that defines us. Now that you are free from the grind, free of the career track, what do you want to do with the rest of your life? How do you want to define the second half of your life?

People live longer. And longer. For many people playing golf, bridge, bingo, or bocce is not going to keep them engaged, excited, and energetic. And what is the point of living longer if not to live better too? We hope that through MAD Mavens you will be inspired to have a fantastic second half. We will walk you through estate planning. Sure. That is important. We want everything to happen just like you want when you die. And you won't be there to enjoy it going smoothly. Instead you can enjoy the freedom, the peace of mind of knowing that everything is settled. You are now free to move about the Second Half of your wonderful life.