Obviously this is not true. Life is not over. Plenty of amazing women — Susan Sarandon, Joan Collins, Maya Angelou and Hillary Clinton — do amazing things, at ages higher than 44. I asked my mom how she felt at 44 and she said, "I thought the world was mine! I felt that life was going through a wonderful beginning."

Sandra Bullock is 44! So are Monica Bellucci, Courteney Cox, Janeane Garofalo, Melinda Gates, Teri Hatcher, Debi Mazar, Mary Louise Parker, Rosie Perez, Wanda Sykes, and um, Sarah Palin. And in any case, this stupid survey was conducted by Bodyform, a company that makes sanitary pads. So. Can we just take some time to talk about women who don't think life is over at age 44? We must have readers who are over the age of 44 who are proud of things they have done, and looking forward to the years ahead. Or readers who know vibrant women over the age of 44. Testify; we'd love to hear from you.

WomenFeel That 'Life Is Over' At The Age Of 44 [Telegraph]
Why Life Doesn't Begin At 40 [Daily Express]

Gross writes that daughters, rather than sons, caring for their parents are still the norm. So when sons do anything at all, they get accolades, while daughters are merely doing what's expected. Moreover, daughters are more likely to do the dirty work of caregiving — they handle the diapers, while their brothers fill out Medicaid forms. Unfair, right? Sure, but Gross tells readers "not to waste energy on this particular iteration of the gender wars." "It is what it is," she writes, "and this arduous interval is a dumb time for a feminist hissy fit. Far wiser to bow to the stereotypes and delegate every male-suitable task you can think of to your brother(s)."

Martha Foley, of Dutiful Daughters (and Sainted Sons), agrees. She says that women get so mad at their brothers during the caregiving process because men suffer less emotionally and are better at compartmentalizing. DD (and SS) echoes this gender divide, saying "Men are pragmatic fixers who prefer stoicism. Women are natural nurturers who show their emotions freely." Foley also tells Gross that "expectations are what create stress. Having no expectations, if you can get to that point, as a female, is the key to good sibling interactions."

So, to recap: women are too emotional about caregiving, and rather than trying to eke out an equitable arrangement, they should lower their expectations — no, strike that, eliminate their expectations. All they can do is assign their brothers "male-suitable tasks" and then go back to being selfless and nonconfrontational. While it makes sense that a crisis in an aging parent's life isn't the time to fight about who does what, surely in calmer moments siblings could talk about fairness. And surely women whose parents are still healthy can start having these conversations with their brothers now. Men aren't "pragmatic-fixer" machines — they're people, capable of adjusting their behavior. But they'll have no reason to if their sisters don't ask.

Dividing the Caregiving Duties, It’s Daughters vs. Sons [NY Times]
Dutiful Daughters (and Sainted Sons) [Official Site]

According to a story in today's Washington Post, women 50 and older almost always tell sites like eHarmony and Match.com that they're looking for a guy 2, 10 or 15 years younger. The ladies are online, and they're looking for love! Galen Buckwalter, chief scientist at eHarmony.com says, "Age, in and of itself, is not a factor in compatibility." And yet! It's perfectly normal and non-newsworthy that men date younger women all the damn time. But women looking for younger men online? Stop the presses! The fact is, older women should date younger men. Here's why:

1. They want to. "What do older women want? Younger men," begins the article. If a woman wants a man with more energy and less experience, why the hell shouldn't she try one?

2. "Older" doesn't mean what it used to. The article touches on the "new biology of aging," noting that when you calculate mortality risk, a 65-year-old woman is the biological equivalent of a 60-year-old man. Ladies with grown children are eating healthy and doing yoga, cardio striptease and Pilates (Looking at you, mom!). The character of the bitter widow or sad spinster hasn't been accurate since way before Mona was the one getting the most action on Who's The Boss?

3. Older dudes don't want women their own age anyway. According to the Post, 50 year-old men are looking for women six to 26 years younger. So a 50-year-old woman had better keep her options open... and "younger" is a pretty smart option. Otherwise how would anyone hook up?

4. To prove they can. It might not be politically correct to say so, but frankly, there's often a power in attracting someone younger than yourself. Historically, older women have been devalued and degraded. Women get the attention when they're hot young things, when they're mothers and when they're wise old "crones." The decades between child-bearing and sunset years? Overlooked. But these women are not dead! They should feel free to prove it to themselves and others.

5. Because we need a better word than "cougar." The image of a sleek predatory cat sort of captures a certain aspect of how some women might stalk and shred an unsuspecting gazelle of a man. But doesn't it conjure a certain single-minded desperation with a sexual focus? What about vivacious, smart, experienced, funny and super social ladies who just want to go on dates and see what happens? Are they cougars? Or are they more like butterflies, or owls, or, um, women? Can't we come up with something better? Maybe if legions of them start hitting the town with younger guys, we'll have to.

Older Woman, Younger Man: It's a Match Made in Cyberspace [Washington Post]

Related: Madonna Gives The Finger To Turning 50 [ABC News]