Darlings,

The definition of a Modern Matriarch is a woman who is powerful within a family, group, or organization. 

Each of you over 50 is a ‘modern matriarch.’ We are one! We are joined at the hip. We are women over 50, hear us roar…

You may enjoy reading What Your DNA Tells a Woman Over 50.

How I Found My Brand

How did the name Modern Matriarch become my brand?

I wanted to find two words that could describe the real Honey Good. Believe me when  I say, “I have spent years thinking about an appropriate title.” 

Often, I would express to my Honey Bees, my right and left hands at Honey Good, “I feel I am like a large pot of vegetable soup with colorful vegetables floating around, each vegetable describing a different facet of the real Honey Good. My thousands and thousands of experiences, my lustful appetite to learn and grow, my curiosity, and my desire to live my life outside the box has filled my head with knowledge and my cup continues to runneth over.” 

Obviously, I knew for branding purposes, I could not be called ‘a pot of vegetable soup!’ Honey Good—A Pot of Vegetable Soup—can you imagine?!

I would always end my thoughts by expressing out loud, “I earned my Ph.D. in Life.”

For years I pondered and pondered over what my title should be!

And then, one day not long ago, my dear assistant Elena turned to me and said, “Honey, you are a Matriarch.”

OMG, I proclaimed, “One word says it all! Matriarch feels good. It is authentic. I am a Matriarch. I lead a community. And I am a powerful woman.”

I then pondered on what adjective described my type of Matriarch. The word modern was perfect. I am a modern woman in every sense of the word. And so are you.

Why I Am a Modern Day Matriarch That Leads My Community

No, I do not have a college degree in psychology, fashion, travel, beauty, entertainment, or home decor. But I truly feel I have a better degree—I earned my degree in Life—from first-hand experience, not from reading words in a book!

The fact that I can say I earned my Ph. D in Life is due to the rich influence I’ve had from traveling the world but more importantly, from the women I’ve met and befriended around the world. Women who have taken to me as one of their own. Women who bring something to the table—women like you!

My Resume as the Modern Matriarch

Recently, I relaunched my popular column, Ask Honey. If you want the benefit of my wisdom, click here to ask me a question!

I earned a life degree in Psych

First and foremost, I have earned my degree in psychology. This is because I’ve lived through the traumas of widowhood, suicide, cancer, rejection from an adult daughter, and financial straits—and survived. I can talk about bullying, invisibility, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, feeling lonely, women’s friendships, how to love yourself with no regret, how to start a career after 50, how to live with a retired husband, and on and on. 

I have a degree in Style

Next, let’s talk about style. I understand it not only because I have shopped till I dropped, though I am a pro! It’s because I have an inherent sense of what goes with what. I understand when to push the envelope, and when to play it a little bit safe. Trust me to tell you the brands to buy—from bunions to big breasts—and that is for starters! I had a good teacher. My mother.

Reopen Your Mind to All Possibilities That Bring You Joy

I have a degree in Travel

Simply put, darlings, I have been blessed. My Ultimate Concierge and I can talk the talk about travel—from packing to unpacking. I can share my wisdom on setting up your house, caring for your pets, choosing the best room in a hotel and getting an upgrade, choosing the right travel agent and guides, and even wheelchair advice. I know the best places to see because I have walked the walk, traveling to over 60 countries in the world. As for me, I would never go to a travel agent who uses the computer as her go-to for advice. She or he must have spent time on the ground, as I have!

Home Decor is one of my specialties

Step by step, I can tell you the blueprint of how to build a new home, decorate an older home, garden outdoors, downsize to a smaller home, and how to go about moving from place to place. I can tell you how to hire a decorator, work with one and still be the woman in charge. 

I have a degree in Entertaining  

Next, I have entertained large groups, small groups, women’s groups, and more. Also, I have attended more parties than I can count and learned from other hostesses. I can tell you how to use wheatgrass as a centerpiece, buy reusable place cards, how to open up conversations over dinners, and on. Our home decor, a dining room set-up, and my personal recipes were featured in Palm Springs Life. 

I am not bragging when I say, “ I truly have earned, with joy and hardship, all of the above  and more and I am not finished yet!” 

My Passion is Giving Back

Above all else, I so enjoy giving back to others. That is why I write. 

A sentimental gift could take hours to find. I love to find special cards and make a phone call asking, “How are you doing?” and sharing my information and always listening to others.

Giving back to others is not a burden—it is my joy. I don’t want anything in return because I create a gift, especially to me—the joy in giving back.

How My Journey Began – Journaling

“Journaling is about one’s life experiences. After 10 years of journaling, my personal experiences,  took on a new life, a new perspective, a fresh meaning. I call them ‘Marvelous Moments’ of true awakenings. They have been profound and enlightening. There is nothing more uplifting, after 50, than filling yourself up with self- knowledge that leads to self growth in every area of your life. Therefore, without question, I am comfortable, beyond any reasonable doubt, calling myself a Modern Matriarch.”— Honey Good 

When I began my journey into the world of writing, I had no plan in place. It was at  the suggestion of an author and writer to keep a journal for three months to find my voice.’ 

“How enticing!” I thought to myself. Truth be told, I was bored with my daily life, so I decided to commit to her challenge. All I needed was my laptop and my thoughts. I loved my Apple, Steve Jobs, and typing. I never in my wildest dreams imagined the invaluable personal insights I would gain. These insights, exploring my inner world, gave me the opportunity to find magic within my head. My journaling became my personal platform to be heard and I was shocked to discover the knowledge I had absorbed,  the lessons I learned, and who I am and why. 

I never dreamed my journaling would turn into HoneyGood.com. 

The Fruit of Years of Commitment

The second part of the story fell into place because my best friend enticed me to put my journals on the Internet. Being a modern-day woman who has always lived outside the box, I thought, why not?

And, that gave birth to HoneyGood.com.

This saga did not take me three months to realize. It took years of commitment and, above all else, authentic journaling to ‘live into’ answers.  

Writing about my experiences and the people in my life opened up my past; I saw everything anew. 

Mistakes were not to grieve over but to celebrate because of the lesson learned. 

The influence of others, my family, and people, was so overpowering in a positive and negative sense—always thought-provoking. 

The written word brought my thoughts to the surface. At times I marveled in awe. At other times, I cried. And, at other times, I had my regrets. But through all the emotion, I truly believe in my gut that journaling made me wise beyond my wildest dreams and The Modern Matriarch title deserves to be created. 

I Wear My Pearls of Wisdom

Over the years, I have come to understand, like you, who I am! Aside from the titles of wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, I am a Modern Matriarch.  

This transpired because of journaling and time. Journaling over the years has been transformational. It took years and time and thought and pioneering into the unknown to say, “Hello, women over 50 and younger—here I am—your  Modern Matriarch.  

My innermost feelings reflect this Pearl Buck quote: “Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that’s where I renew my springs that never dry up.”

Don’t wonder if you are a Modern Matriarch. You are! You are! 

Are you a  great listener?  That is certainly true of Modern Matriarchs. Do you live in the present, not your past? That is a Modern Matriarch. Do you cultivate gratitude?  That is a Modern Matriarch. Do you rejoice in solitude and accept the woman you are after 50?  Do you give back? That is a Modern Matriarch. 

To be a true Modern Matriarch is to feel enriched in who you are as a woman after 50. Amen. Amen.

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