The Emotional Toll of Midlife

Julia Sotile Orlando, MSW, LCSW

April 2026

Midlife seems to be kicking the ass of women these days: there's massive worry over teenage and young adult kids, caregiving for aging parents, the constant pull of being the in the “sandwich generation”, grief over lost parents, anticipatory grief about one day losing parents, plateauing or ending careers, marriages getting lost in the shuffle, our own health, our aging and changing bodies, the political landscape shifting under our feet, loneliness from empty nesting, anticipatory grief of kids leaving, and friendships drifting away because who has time for them... I should really sugarcoat the whole shebang, but transparency seems to always be the answer. When we gather and connect, these intense, difficult things often become normalized. We learn that from 10,000 feet, we are often living parallel lives with others. And more importantly, we discuss strategies and mindsets that may help us on our journeys, and we learn so much from the wisdom of others.

We had a remarkable night with these sister speakers, Rebecca Sotile Fallon and Julia Sotile Orlando who discussed this topic and facilitated a group discussion. They were an incredible duo.

Rebecca Sotile Fallon, MS