In sitting in for Linda today, I thought I’d repost one of my articles called “The Forgotten Woman.” But before I do, I wanted to write an introduction that will set the stage for this topic.

Since my husband and I have returned to the Pacific Northwest after living in Florida for 5 years, the old neighborhood has become oh so young and hip. Being the young-at-heart couple we are, we enjoy that and find ourselves quite at home, although comments we hear while touring upscale, urban townhomes are a bit annoying. Comments such as “Oh, are you downsizing?” and “Empty nesters, huh?”

No, we are not “empty nesters.” We married later in life and do not have any kids. And we prefer a maintenance-free lifestyle. It’s like once you reach a certain age, the whole world becomes oblivious to diverse lifestyles–whether through chance or by choice–and insists on putting you in yet another box–an age box.

When the chick lit market was hot and “hen lit” was spinning off for the “older set,” I thought I had found my niche in the publishing world. While chick lit originally included women in their late 30s, publishers began to pull back and cut the age off at 34. And “hen lit,” while featuring women over 40, told traditional stories about being on the mom track. Sure, many of you may relate to traditional stories, but I know there is a large group of women out there who don’t. And it was time to let their voices be heard.

Therefore, I was compelled to write “The Forgotten Woman.”

“The Forgotten Woman”
by Kathy Holmes

I’ve seen it, felt it, heard it and lived it. What am I talking about? The forgotten woman. More often than not, she’s in her late 30s/early 40s, never married or recently divorced and without kids. But she could be 60 just as easily as 40, never married, no kids, but just as interested in life and love as she was at a younger age—maybe even more interested. Some of the most fascinating stories in life are about people who have found love at an older age—whether for the first time or umpteenth time. We all want to find love and we want to believe that it’s out there at any age. And it is.

We don’t hear about those stories often enough. We’re mostly aware of women of a certain age who are wives, mothers, and grandmothers even, living traditional lives. But there are plenty of other women who do not fit into that demographic. So what’s a woman to do when she has reaches a certain age but is living a life in totally opposite to what the perceived majority of women are living? Where does she go for inspiration? Where are the movies, the magazines, the television shows, the books?

Hollywood rarely casts an actress over the age of 40 to portray a leading lady, but in recent years Diane Keaton has been cast in some stellar roles. Movies like “Something’s Gotta Give,” is a great step forward and one many women can probably relate to. Occasionally a magazine comes along, such as “Moxie” or “More.” We’ve heard rumors of and seen a few novels called hen lit, matron lit or whatever old-sounding lit you might think of. But these books are about women who have led traditional lives, married, children, and are now going through a divorce or death of a spouse, dealing with their teen-age or young adult children and their aging parents. That’s fine. That’s great. For other people.

The women whose needs are not being addressed are those in that in-between age—looking at 40 either in the mirror or down the road yet and wondering about changing their life. Is it time to get married? Will I ever get married? Will I ever have kids? Do I even want kids? Should I buy a house? Settle down? Should I move to Paris? My life is a mess, how do I turn it around? Can I get a second chance? I’m turning 40, what should I be doing with my life anyway?

Forty and beyond isn’t what it used to be. Women are looking, feeling, and acting younger and because women have the freedom to make different choices, they’re not always choosing the traditional path. These women need an awareness raised about their circumstances and their needs addressed. They’re a market just waiting to be developed.

Kathy Holmes writes women’s fiction with romantic comedy elements while raising an awareness for women’s issues for women over 40. She can be reached at http://www.kathyholmes.net