In my fifties I became a Grandad--brilliant. it gave me a new perpective on life--but what I found out quite quickly was I couldn't keep up. I didn't have as much energy as I used to, playing with the grandchildren tired me out. It bought home to me --I am getting old. This often happens--one is bought up sharpley with the fact that you are not as young as you think. In your head you are still 18/20 or whatever age suits you, but your body starts telling you --NO YOU AIN'T.      If you are female towards the end of your fifties menopause sets in. In actual fact there is some evidence to say that the earlier you became sexually active the earlier menopause sets in. Menopause or the Change can be devastating--not just physically but mentally as well--the onset of Menopause indicates that you are close to being  non-child bearing, and with all the hormonal changes it can effect your life at all sorts of levels. The odd thing is that in ordinary life women don't seem to talk about it to other women, so often they set out on the journey with no clues as to what is normal,what to expect, for how long. Often your sex life is affected not just by the menop[ause but also by your own health. Your fifties are the time your sins catch up with you. Overweight, smoke too much, drink too much, all these will impact on your life, and it generally starts in your fifties.   So the fifties are often a time of going to the Gym, dieting, giving up this that and the other, in an attempt to slow down the impact. Now how does that make you fel? frustrated, a bit angry, a bit scared, a bit inadequate (can you ever be a bit inadequate) Add to this mixture the probability that either you have been made redundant, or "encouraged" to take early retirement and we have a scenario guaranteed to knock your self worth,your self esteem, indeed to rock your very foundations. As if this wasn't enough your parents decide to die. They or your close relatives have been infirm for ages and have been a drain on you emotionally, psychologically, and indeed you and yours have been caring for them for some time. But their death brings loads of feelings for you. You feel that you have failed (to keep them safe), glad (a bad feeling--even though they drained you out), guilty ('cos you didn't do enough) and probably several other emotions. Yet you did what you could!!! Their passing emphasises the fact of your own mortality. Your fifties is also a time where you begin to worry about money. Have I got enough to retire on? can I maintain my level of living on the money that I'll have coming in? Can I manage or indeed do I want to just manage? Questions, questions, your fifties are a time of questions but alas very few answers. In order to get answers you need to dig deep!!! As always the answers are in you. Your parents dying is not your fault, your career down the pan (compartively) is not the end of the world. Again you need to dredge deep--look into yourself--then share this with your loved ones and move on.