8 | Midlife Private Parts: Stories to Inspire Your Next Chapter with Dina Aronson

Pleasure In The Pause: Smart, Sexy Midlife Conversations about Menopause, Hormones & Female Pleasure

What if the very parts of yourself you've been hiding—the messy, the marvelous, the unspoken—are the ones that will set you free in midlife? We're often told to shrink, to quiet down, to accept invisibility, like it's a rite of passage. But what if this chapter is actually about expansion, revealing more of who we are, not less? Because let's be honest, midlife women are not a monolith. We're complex, multifaceted, full of rage and tenderness, reinvention and regret, humor and heartbreak. So many of those parts don't get revealed until we find the courage to tell our stories. That's when the magic happens. That's when we feel seen, heard, validated, and we realize we were never alone.

Reclaim your sensuality and step into a powerful new chapter. The Midlife Pleasure Collective is a monthly membership designed to help midlife women reconnect with their bodies, embrace their desires, and cultivate deeper pleasure.

Dina Aronson is a writer, editor, and pro-age advocate who is passionate about shining a light on midlife women and reframing the cultural conversation around aging. She began her career as an attorney, later founding a legal search consultancy, but pivoted as she approached midlife and couldn’t find relevant content that reflected her experience. She began freelancing for start-ups aimed at the forty and above woman, and founded the Patina blog, now a Substack newsletter called Patina with Dina Aronson, where she explores topics in and around aging through her midlife lens.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Midlife is not about shrinking or becoming invisible, but about expanding and revealing more of your authentic self.
• Midlife women are complex and multifaceted, defying simple stereotypes or categorization.
• Courage to share our stories is transformative, allowing us to be truly seen and understood.
• Our hidden or unspoken parts—including emotions like rage, tenderness, regret, and humor—are sources of power, not weakness.
• Sharing our experiences helps us realize we are not alone in our midlife journey, creating connection and validation

In midlife, our power lies not in conforming to societal expectations, but in embracing our full, messy, magnificent selves—and having the courage to share those stories that make us beautifully, unapologetically human.

If you're seeking to reclaim your pleasure and vitality, join Gabriella at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pleasureinthepause.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for this enlightening journey into the heart of female pleasure and empowerment.

CONNECT WITH DINA ARONSON:

Midlife Private Parts

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Reclaim your sensuality and step into a powerful new chapter. The Midlife Pleasure Collective is a monthly membership designed to help midlife women reconnect with their bodies, embrace their desires, and cultivate deeper pleasure. Join the founding members for just $20/month - spots are limited, so apply now at pleasure-in-the-pause.com/collective.

Full episodes on YouTube.

Chapters

1. Midlife: A Time to Expand and Reveal (00:00:00)

2. The Spark Behind "Midlife Private Parts" (00:04:20)

3. Bringing the Essays Together: The Creative Process (00:09:44)

4. Dina's Journey Through Grief and Loss (00:14:07)

5. Writing and Vulnerability: A Path to Healing (00:19:41)

6. Busting Common Myths About Aging (00:23:28)

7. Finding Strength in Community and Support (00:29:09)

8. Write Your Story: Advice for Aspiring Midlife Authors (00:29:28)

9. Presence and Embodiment: Finding Joy in Everyday Life (00:39:09)