Blog #78: We’re the Glue That Keeps It Together.

Part 3 of the 5-part “What We Bring After 50” September series

Life today can feel like it’s unraveling at the seams. Families and friends are scattered across time zones. Workplaces shrink into Zoom boxes. We live in neighborhoods where we hardly even know who lives next door.

Glue gun, yarn, (and duct tape!) keep individuals and people together.

It’s easy to think we’re all just floating—untethered, and disconnected. People increasingly say they feel isolated, and honestly, it’s no wonder why.

But those of us with five, six, or seven decades under our belts? We know the power of tenacity; sticking like glue to people, places, and passions. We’ve held fast when things cracked, mended the bonds when they weakened, and reinforced connections when they started to split.

Connection and continuity are not nice extras. They’re survival skills. They’re the adhesive that holds families, communities, and workplaces from splintering apart. And this is exactly where elders bring their best forward.

Continuity helps us mentor and coach younger people. We can look at someone just starting out and say, “I’ve been there, here’s what I learned.” That shortens the learning curve and reminds the next generation that they don’t have to walk blindly into situations that are new to them.

We weave relationships like master artisans. Decades of friendships, colleagues, and community ties have made us the connectors who hold people together. We can introduce folks across networks that others didn’t even know existed. Think of us as LinkedIn, only with heart instead of an algorithm.

We carry wisdom earned in the trenches. Whether it was sleepless nights with babies, tending to aging parents, or standing beside friends in crises, we know what it means to show up, and to keep showing up, even when it gets messy.

We hold cultural continuity like a living archive. Recipes passed down, rituals repeated, languages preserved, values taught, not for the sake of nostalgia, but because these are the things that bond communities together when the world feels shaky.

And we step into the role of grandparent or community elder, and not just for our own kin, but for the “younger tribe” at large. We offer stability when life wobbles, wisdom when choices loom, and perspective when drama spins out of control.

We’re not just part of the web. We’re the weavers.

If you’re over 50, here’s your invitation this week: choose one person—family, neighbor, colleague, friend—and offer a thread of connection. A listening ear, a recipe, an introduction, a story. A small act that strengthens the whole.

If you’re under 50, here’s your challenge: look around. Who in your community has carried the thread of continuity for decades? Ask them to share. Then notice how much stronger you feel being tied into something bigger than yourself.

Because glue and thread may seem simple, even humble, but without them, everything falls apart.

If this post made you smile, nod, or mutter “yes, exactly,” don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with someone who needs to remember that lived experience is gold.