Aging ain't for Sissies

Marcy Backhus
  • 4.5 (11)
  • Relationships
  • Updated Weekly

Aging isn't easy. My name is Marcy Backhus and I am your host! Make sure your complete well-being is handled with a community and information that can make it easier and FUN. Aging needs humor, which you can find in the "Aging ain't for Sissies" Podcast, along with informational guests that give us the information we need. 

  1. 1d ago

    The Aging Survival Guide Finale And A Better Way Forward

    Send us Fan Mail If you have ever caught yourself thinking, “I just want things to go back to normal,” this one is for you. I’m closing out the Aging Survival Guide with the truth I did not fully see when I started: we were never only talking about retirement, downsizing, marriage, friendships, travel, and the holidays. We were talking about change, and how to live with it without spending the rest of our lives looking backward. I share how my own life has shifted, from letting go of a big house and most of my stuff to learning how to accept the reality of a long marriage while still building a richer day-to-day life. We talk about the kind of change that sets you free and the kind that shows up uninvited, including health changes that reset your priorities fast. Along the way, I give you simple, practical aging mindset strategies: stop waiting for “normal,” give yourself permission to change your mind, don’t confuse familiar with good, and keep something new in your life so your world doesn’t shrink. We end with a concrete challenge you can do today, a two-list exercise that helps you choose less of what drains you and more of what makes you feel alive. If this brought you a little clarity, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s in the middle of change, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What are you ready to leave behind?

  2. Sep 4

    Children Of Mine Please Answer The Holiday Text

    Send us Fan Mail I send a very honest “children of mine” text because I want a holiday with my adult kids, and it sparks a bigger truth about how family traditions change as we age. We talk through the grief and the logistics, then lay out simple strategies for building a new holiday that prioritizes connection over perfection.  • why holidays shift when kids grow up and families spread out  • the hidden grief of changing traditions and why it is normal  • asking what everyone wants before making plans  • letting go of the exact date to get more time together  • creating new traditions that fit your family now  • simplifying the “Hallmark” holiday and dropping perfection  • telling the truth without weaponizing guilt  • planning early to cut stress and cost  Your survival challenge of the week is before the week is over, contact the people you hope to spend the holidays with. Don't do not announce a plan. Ask a question. Try something like what would make the holidays fun for you this year? Or is there a way we can get together sometime for the holidays? Where do you want to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas? Then just listen.

  3. Aug 28

    Retirement Meets Real Marriage

    Send us Fan Mail We talk candidly about how retirement changes marriage when the old structure disappears and you suddenly have a lot more together time. We share practical ways to protect your independence, lower resentment, and build a life that feels good even when your spouse stays exactly who they’ve always been.  • retirement revealing hidden friction once busyness is gone  • small daily annoyances turning into big fights over routines  • power balance changes when roles and lanes shift  • mismatched retirement visions and the need to negotiate  • choosing independence and separate interests because you are not nuns  • dropping the fantasy of a personality transplant after retirement  • focusing on self-created happiness instead of waiting on a partner  • building new routines around food, chores, and time at home  • using humor to keep the small things small  • letting the marriage evolve and addressing resentment with grace  If you enjoyed today's episode, share it with somebody who has recently retired, is thinking about retirement, or is currently hiding from their spouse in another room.

  4. Aug 21

    Travel After 60 Made Simple

    Send us Fan Mail We talk about how travel after 60 changes and why those changes can make us better travelers who enjoy the trip instead of enduring it. We share practical ways to plan for comfort, energy, and real life so the adventure stays fun. • shifting from proving ourselves to enjoying ourselves • planning buffer days for recovery and reducing exhaustion • packing lighter and skipping the fantasy outfits • choosing comfortable shoes and avoiding new-shoe mistakes • avoiding overscheduling and keeping an empty afternoon • building in rest with naps, long lunches, and bench time • using airport and credit card perks to make travel easier • spending for ease and experiences instead of souvenirs • traveling our way even when our partner travels differently Go find it, marcybackhusmedia.com Go out and do something positive.

  5. Aug 14

    Friendships After 60

    Send us Fan Mail Nobody warns you that retirement can change your friendships as much as it changes your calendar. One day you’re surrounded by built-in community from work, kids, and routines, and the next you’re realizing how many relationships were held together by proximity instead of true connection. I open with a very real personal update about a hard week, then we get into something I wish more people said out loud: adult friendship after 60 can be joyful, confusing, and sometimes heartbreaking, all at once.  We dig into how friendships evolve with relocation, caregiving, divorce, health scares, and grandparent life, and why that doesn’t automatically mean anything “went wrong.” I share a simple lens for sorting what you’re feeling: do you feel better after time with someone, or drained and tense? We talk about “chapter friends” versus lifetime friends, why it’s okay to stop forcing relationships, and how to avoid the trap of keeping score while still paying attention to reciprocity and patterns over time.  We also get practical about making new friends in your 60s and beyond, including the awkward truth that asking someone to coffee can feel like middle school. The payoff is worth it: fresh community, real laughter, and people who know the current version of you. I end with a weekly reach-out challenge that’s meant to be easy and joyful. If this resonates, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations about aging, retirement, and friendships.

  6. Aug 7

    A Smaller Home Can Hold A Full Life

    Send us Fan Mail We tell the truth about downsizing: it’s emotional before it’s practical, and it can be one of the most freeing changes we ever make. We share what we learned moving from 4,000 square feet to 800, including how to release guilt, keep the memories, and build a home that fits our real life.  • downsizing versus moving and why it feels so personal  • advanced hiding versus true decluttering and letting go  • anxiety from accumulated stuff even when it is “organized”  • curating a smaller home with only what we love and use  • separating memories from objects and keeping meaning without boxes  • why adult kids often do not want inherited belongings  • faster ways to rehome items through Buy Nothing groups and donation pickups  • decision fatigue and why selling everything can stall progress  • planning a realistic timeline and working in small categories  • choosing for your current lifestyle rather than a fantasy life  • boundaries with family about what stays and what goes  Please follow Aging Eight for Sissies. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who has a basement, attic, garage, storage unit, or closet that is beginning to make threats.

  7. Jul 31

    A Summer Survival Guide To Phones Passwords And QR Codes

    Send us Fan Mail Your phone was supposed to make life easier, so why does one “quick task” turn into a 45-minute spiral of password resets, expired codes, and blurry QR menus? I’m Marcy Backett, and I’m bringing you a summer survival guide to technology that’s honest, funny, and actually useful, especially if modern devices sometimes make you feel like you need a degree just to turn on the TV.  We get into the daily pain points that hit hardest as we age: streaming setups with too many remotes, websites that demand an account for everything, two-factor authentication that times out the second you glance at a text, and restaurants that replaced real menus with tiny phone screens. I explain why this isn’t about being “bad at tech” and why the real culprit is often poor design, confusing vocabulary, and constant updates that move the buttons without warning.  Then we shift into practical strategies for digital confidence and online safety. I share simple ways to build a password system (or decide if a password manager fits you), keep your recovery info updated, and learn one small skill at a time using Apple’s free classes, accessibility settings like larger text and voice-to-text, and better Google searches. We also tackle phishing and phone scams with a clear rule: hang up, close the message, and call back directly using a trusted number, plus an analog backup plan with printed tickets and key contacts for when technology goes down.  If you’ve ever said “I’m too old for this,” I want you to listen, laugh, and take one step forward. Subscribe, share this with the person who always asks for the Wi‑Fi password, and leave a review so more people can find a calmer way to live with modern tech.

  8. Jul 25

    Family Gathering Survival Guide

    Send us Fan Mail Family gatherings can flip from sweet to stressful in one sentence. We’ve all seen it: the best intentions at the table, then a stray comment about politics, money, parenting, or who “never calls,” and suddenly you’re back in an old role you thought you outgrew decades ago. We talk candidly about aging, retirement, and how family dynamics shift over time. Parents become the ones who need support, adult children make choices we don’t always understand, and siblings still know exactly how to push our buttons. I share what I’ve learned from both the families I’m part of and the ones I wish were less splintered, plus why success no longer looks like everyone behaving perfectly. For me, it looks like laughing at least once, making a memory, and leaving while we still love each other. You’ll get seven practical strategies you can use right away: lower expectations so “good enough” is the win, decide boundaries before you need them, stop trying to win conversations, let adult kids live and share their own lives, give everyone a useful role, build in breathing room, and look for the moment instead of chasing a masterpiece. We also dig into grace, taking a pause before reacting, and saying the loving thing out loud because time moves fast and the chairs around the table don’t stay filled forever. If you’re navigating holiday stress, caregiving changes, or just want healthier boundaries and better communication with family, this one is your toolkit. Subscribe, share with someone hosting soon, and leave a review so more people can find our little corner of the world.

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4.5
out of 5
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About

Aging isn't easy. My name is Marcy Backhus and I am your host! Make sure your complete well-being is handled with a community and information that can make it easier and FUN. Aging needs humor, which you can find in the "Aging ain't for Sissies" Podcast, along with informational guests that give us the information we need. 

Information

  • Creator
    Marcy Backhus
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    146
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Aging ain't for Sissies
  • Show Website
    Aging ain't for Sissies

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