For our WOMEN'S issue (and to honor Mother's Day), we asked three dynamic women, at different ages, what advice they would give their younger selves. Then, to lighten it up, we asked about the music they turn to when hanging out with girlfriends, on a road trip or just celebrating good times.
Riley Elizabeth Davis, 18, RHS valedictorian
Advice: Don't let fear hold you back. Don't compare yourself to others, and to live in the present.
Girlfriend jam: "Remember When" by Wallows and "Midnight Memories" by One Direction!
Anita Alley, 75, Holbrook Woodstock
After losing my husband, surviving cancer, losing my best friend in the whole world to
the pandemic, and the isolation due to Covid followed by a hip replacement, I was
feeling like Humpty Dumpty. Holbrook Life has certainly put me back together again.
Advice: Have the courage to give up things like possessions, a house, furniture - stuff that you hold on to just because you've always had it. Embrace change. Growth requires giving up some of your security temporarily. Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal.
Girlfriend jams: A fond memory is going to an Elvis concert with my girlfriends. What a fun time! We were all screaming. One particular song that reminds me of my dancing days was "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," by Marvin Gaye. The Bob Dylan and folk music era reminds me of making me feel like I could change the world.
Rachel Longberger, 87 years young, Holbrook Woodstock community
Advice: I would tell my younger self at 40 years old that with my two children in college, I no longer have the responsibility of raising children, which allows me to enjoy the
freedom of my own life and the things I like to do! I ran a business and traveled for
several years all throughout the USA and Canada. My husband and I traveled by boat
to the Bahamas, and down the Mississippi River.
Girlfriend jams: At 87 years young, I still enjoy disco dancing. A song that comes to mind is "Kansas City, Here I Come" by Wilbert Harrison and "Runaround Sue" by Dion. My husband and I won several jitterbug competitions back in the day.
