Growing Older Together | Facing Fears. Embracing Resilience.
Growing Older Together is a short-form podcast that explores the fears, turning points, and resilience of aging, with episodes under 15 minutes.
Season One: Echoes of the Past, Visions of Tomorrow, looks at how earlier experiences continue to shape who we become.
Season Two: Finding Strength in Our Fears, shares stories about fears, how it shows up in everyday life, how it keeps us quiet, and what it takes to speak about it in later life.
From time to time, I share interviews with guests about their experiences of aging and the resilience they discovered along the way.
Let’s keep growing older and wiser together.
Episodes
35 episodes
S2 EP 1 – Why Fear?
In the first episode of Season 2, Lourdes talks about fear and why it can stop us from speaking up, trying something new, or making decisions we want to make.She shares her own experience with fear of judgment and introduces Finding ...
S2 EP 2 – Exploring The Fear of Aging
In Episode 2, Lourdes looks at some of the concerns people may have about getting older, from maintaining independence to dealing with health changes and financial uncertainty.She talks about acknowledging those fears and taking practica...
S2 EP 3 – Handling The Fear of Becoming A Burden
In Episode 3, Lourdes discusses a fear many older adults may have: becoming dependent on other people or feeling like a burden to those they love.She talks about planning ahead, communicating openly, and understanding the options availab...
S2 EP 4 – Overcoming The Fear of Loneliness
In Episode 4, Lourdes looks at the fear of loneliness and what can happen when we begin to feel cut off from other people.Through a listener’s story, she talks about companionship and the different ways people can begin rebuilding connec...
S2 EP 5 – Confronting Health Anxieties
In Episode 5, Lourdes looks at the fear and worry that can come with changes in our health as we age.Through a listener’s story, she talks about what health anxiety can feel like and shares ways to respond when those worries become diffi...
S2 EP 6 – Addressing the Fear of Cognitive Decline
In Episode 6, Lourdes discusses concerns about memory and cognitive decline that can become more noticeable as we age.She talks about misconceptions surrounding aging, the effect certain language can have on those fears, and simple ways ...
S2 EP 7 – Facing Financial Fears in Retirement
In Episode 7, Lourdes talks about the financial fears that can come with retirement, including rising costs and the concern of outliving your savings.She looks at where these worries come from and discusses ways to better understand and ...
S2 EP 8 – Whispers of Regret: Women Finding Peace in Silence
This episode contains explicit language and content. Listener discretion is advised.In Episode 8, Lourdes speaks with Lilia about living with physical limitations, learning to prioritize her own well-being, and making decisions that allo...
S2 EP 9 – Quiet Strength: The Power of Introverts
In Episode 9, Lourdes explores the strengths that can come with being introverted.She talks about the need for quiet, the value of listening and observation, and why introverts do not need to become more outgoing to have strong relations...
S2 EP 10 – Returning to the Mic
After nearly a year away, Lourdes returns to the microphone in Episode 10 of Growing Older Together.She explains why she stepped away from the podcast when her mother became ill and talks about returning after her mother’s passi...
S2 EP 11 – Invisible with Age: Fighting Ageism
This episode contains explicit language. Listener discretion is advised.In Episode 11, Lourdes talks about a form of discrimination many people may experience without recognizing it by name: ageism.Through stories from the communi...
S2 Ep 12 – Awareness Is Your First Defense
This episode contains explicit language. Listener discretion is advised.In Episode 12, Lourdes talks about awareness as an important part of personal safety and how noticing early warning signs may help prevent a situation from becoming ...
S2 Ep 15 - When Life Feels Like A Horror Story
In Episode 15, Lourdes talks about the moments when life can suddenly feel frightening or out of control, whether it starts with a phone call, ongoing stress, not feeling heard, or a major change.She looks at what it can take to get thro...
S2 Ep 17 Growing Older While Caring for Aging Parents
In Episode 17, Lourdes talks about what it can be like to care for aging parents while also getting older yourself.She discusses how caregiving can affect your time, energy, emotions, relationships, and the way you think about your own f...
Trailer
In this trailer for Growing Older Together, Lourdes Valtierra Dirden introduces the podcast and shares what listeners can expect from the show. Episodes explore how growing older affects family, friendships, relationships, and the way ...
Light In The Shadows - Special Episode
In this special episode, Lourdes talks about health problems people often keep private. Inspired by a friend facing a serious health condition, she also shares experiences from her own family and talks about the difference between hearing about...
S1 EP 1 – Introduction
In this first episode of Growing Older Together, Lourdes Valtierra Dirden introduces the podcast and talks about how getting older has affected the way she sees the world and her relationships.She also introduces Season One,
S1 EP 2 – When The Past Knocks
In Episode 2, Lourdes looks at why old memories can return unexpectedly and trigger worry, frustration, anger, or other strong reactions. She also shares what she learned while helping her aging parents and navigating fa...
S1 EP 3 – Echoes of Resilience
In Episode 3, Lourdes shares how losing her job in December 2022 forced her to face an unexpected change at a time when she thought her career was on steady ground.She talks about the emotions that followed and the challenge of returning...
S1 EP 4 – Unresolved Emotions
In Episode 4, Lourdes talks about unresolved emotions and the effect they can have long after the original experience has passed.She shares her own reflections and discusses the importance of identifying those feelings, understanding whe...
S1 EP 5 – The Art of Apology
In Episode 5, Lourdes discusses self-forgiveness and how difficult it can be to let go of the way we judge ourselves after painful or difficult experiences.She shares a personal story and talks about recognizing your own worth, showing y...
S1 EP 6 – Shadow of Regret
In Episode 6, Lourdes looks at regret through a listener’s story about a difficult health decision and what happened afterward.She talks about how regret can stay with us, what it can teach us, and why taking care of ourselves sometimes ...
S1 EP 7 – Echoes of Silence
In Episode 7, Lourdes discusses what it can be like when someone important is no longer part of your life.Using her own experience with her adult son, she talks about the emotions that can come with that absence and the ways she has lear...
S1 EP 8 – Making New Connections
In Episode 8, Lourdes explores what can happen when we open ourselves to new friendships or reconnect with someone we once knew.She shares listener stories about forming new bonds and renewing old ones, and talks about the companionship ...
S1 EP 9 – Echoes of Understanding
In Episode 9, Lourdes looks at the difference between hearing someone and actually listening to them.Through listener stories, she talks about paying attention without immediately preparing a reply and how that change can improve the way...