After Six Decades and Thirty Novels Jodi Picoult Was Missing One Thing: A Tattoo
I didn’t care about turning forty. When fifty rolled around, I celebrated. At 55, my neighbor took a picture of me under a matching speed limit sign and we both laughed. Then came sixty. Several months before my birthday I
Jodi Picoult, a prolific novelist with a successful career and a loving family, found herself dreading her sixtieth birthday. Despite her numerous accomplishments and a life filled with happiness and love, the milestone birthday made her feel an overwhelming sense of dread. She didn't want to turn sixty, mark the day, or celebrate it in any way.
Her therapist helped her realize the source of her unease, which stemmed from societal expectations of aging and the perception that past a certain age, a person's value diminishes.
Jodi's reluctance to turn sixty was compounded by the fear of an inevitable tragedy, such as the loss of her parents or her own body breaking down. She felt the pressure of being put on a pedestal as a longtime author while feeling unfulfilled as a woman approaching middle age. Society's expectations of women in their sixties, who should be enjoying their freedom and not pursuing a career, clashed with her aspirations.
Determined to embrace her sixtieth year, Jodi decided to mark the occasion by getting a tattoo. This decision was a bold step towards acknowledging her past, embracing her present, and celebrating her future. With this tattoo, she aimed to redefine aging and challenge societal norms about women in their sixties.
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