astraea

"I’ll be turning 95 this coming Monday. In my younger years, I was often filled with worry — worry that I wasn’t quite good enough, that no one would cast me again, that I wouldn’t live up to my mother’s hopes. But these days begin in peace, and end in gratitude.

My life didn’t quite take shape until my forties. I had worked steadily — on provincial stages, in radio plays, in West End productions — but I often felt adrift, as though I was searching for a home within myself that I hadn’t quite found.

At 50, I accepted a television role that many would later associate me with — Hyacinth Bucket, of Keeping Up Appearances. I thought it would be a small part in a little series. I never imagined that it would take me into people’s living rooms and hearts around the world. And truthfully, that role taught me to accept my own quirks. It healed something in me.

At 60, I began learning Italian — not for work, but so I could sing opera in its native language. I also learned how to live alone without feeling lonely. I read poetry aloud each evening, not to perfect my diction, but to quiet my soul.

At 70, I returned to the Shakespearean stage — something I once believed I had aged out of. But this time, I had nothing to prove. I stood on those boards with stillness, and audiences felt that. I was no longer performing. I was simply being.

At 80, I took up watercolour painting. I painted flowers from my garden, old hats from my youth, and faces I remembered from the London Underground. Each painting was a quiet memory made visible.

Now, at 95, I write letters by hand. I’m learning to bake rye bread. I still breathe deeply every morning. I still adore laughter — though I no longer try to make anyone laugh. I love the quiet more than ever.

I’m writing this to tell you something simple:

Growing older is not the closing act. It can be the most exquisite chapter — if you let yourself bloom again.

Let these years ahead be your TREASURE YEARS.

You don’t need to be famous. You don’t need to be flawless.

You only need to show up — fully — for the life that is still yours.

With love and gentleness,

Patricia Routledge

PS: Apparently this might not be legit, but I like it and hope it inspires others too. xo

Oct 4 at 1:24pmWeb
Show threadPaul Kater - AntifaOct 4
@astraea Thank you for posting this.
Show threadDaraghOct 4
@astraea this is wonderful. Thanks for posting.
Show threadNoodlemazOct 6
@daragh @astraea shame it's fake, I was taken in at first too. She didn't say this and she was 60 when she started KUA apparently.
Show threadDaraghOct 7
@noodlemaz @astraea Thanks for the heads up. Disappointed ☹️
Show threadLinkingDot:socialOct 5
@astraea Thank you for sharing this. At 78 this inspires me with courage.
Show threadWhichOne'sPink 🇫🇮Oct 5
@astraea Patricia lives on at my martial arts school. I train with one of the senior women a fair bit and it's become a tradition after 13 years that when we're about to do a form together, I ask "Si-Hing, what speed shall we do this form?".
She replies; "Meejum speed".
Vale Hyacinth.
Show threadBeverleyOct 5

@astraea

Have my thanks too. Inspiring.

Show threadWoollyMelOct 5
@astraea
Thank you for posting these inspiring words.
I turn 70 in January and have had a couple of years of poor health.
I feel I have lost my motivation to try new activities or pick up old ones.
I needed to read Patricia's wise words and stop drifting and start living more fully
#ageing #inspiration
Show threadwebhatOct 5
@astraea #ALT4you image of Patricia Routledge, a mature woman with short hair wearing a green top and a white t-shirt, with a pearl necklace
Show threadLookOutForEachOtherOct 5

@astraea

"Growing older is not the closing act. It can be the most exquisite chapter — if you let yourself bloom again.
Let these years ahead be your TREASURE YEARS.
You don’t need to be famous. You don’t need to be flawless.
You only need to show up — fully — for the life that is still yours.
With love and gentleness,"
Patricia Routledge

Show threadWilhelmina58Oct 5
@astraea She became a eclectic , colourful "Bouquet" in a vintage "Bucket"... Gorgeous !
May she inspire many people for ages!
Show threadWalrus 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Oct 5

@astraea

Very inspirational.

Also, https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/10/i-have-no-facts-and-i-must-scream/

You did no fact checking, and I must scream

I'm neither a journalist nor a professional fact checker but, the thing is, it's has never been easier to check basic facts. Yeah, sure, there's a world of misinformation out there, but it doesn't take much effort to determine if something is likely to be true. There are brilliant tools like reverse Image Search which give you a good indicator of when an image first appeared on the web, and…

Terence Eden’s Blog
Show threadchimbosonicOct 5
@Walrus @astraea whether this real or not (I haven’t fact checked any of this) the em dashing makes me now automatically wonder if it’s AI generated.
Show threadWouter@nukleosOct 5
@astraea
You may thank the author for these inspiring words, but it was NOT Patrcia Routledge - see https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/10/i-have-no-facts-and-i-must-scream/
You did no fact checking, and I must scream

I'm neither a journalist nor a professional fact checker but, the thing is, it's has never been easier to check basic facts. Yeah, sure, there's a world of misinformation out there, but it doesn't take much effort to determine if something is likely to be true. There are brilliant tools like reverse Image Search which give you a good indicator of when an image first appeared on the web, and…

Terence Eden’s Blog
Show threadjackOct 6
@nukleos @astraea sorely tempted to reply with "that's an excellent article by Mastodon's very own..." and then tag a blogger who isn't @Edent
Show threadDrubOct 5

@astraea And this isn’t even true.

https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/10/i-have-no-facts-and-i-must-scream/

You did no fact checking, and I must scream

I'm neither a journalist nor a professional fact checker but, the thing is, it's has never been easier to check basic facts. Yeah, sure, there's a world of misinformation out there, but it doesn't take much effort to determine if something is likely to be true. There are brilliant tools like reverse Image Search which give you a good indicator of when an image first appeared on the web, and…

Terence Eden’s Blog
Show threadatlovatoOct 6
@astraea ❤️
Show threadMirishuliOct 6
@astraea Thank you for this. I needed so very much. My 65th birthday is this month and it's niggling at me.
Show threadRadio AzureusOct 6

@astraea

🦋💙#Lobi 💙🦋

Show threadlord pthenq1Oct 6

"Cumpliré 95 años el próximo lunes. De joven, solía estar llena de preocupaciones: de no ser lo suficientemente buena, de que nadie me volviera a contratar, de no estar a la altura de las esperanzas de mi madre. Pero estos días empiezan en paz y terminan en gratitud.

Mi vida no cobró forma hasta los cuarenta. Había trabajado de forma constante —en teatros provinciales, en obras de radio, en producciones del West End—, pero a menudo me sentía a la deriva, como si buscara un hogar dentro de mí que no había encontrado.

A los 50, acepté un papel en televisión con el que muchos me asociarían más tarde: Hyacinth Bucket, de Keeping Up Appearances. Pensé que sería un pequeño papel en una pequeña serie. Nunca imaginé que me llevaría a las salas de estar y los corazones de personas de todo el mundo. Y, la verdad, ese papel me enseñó a aceptar mis propias peculiaridades. Sanó algo en mí.

A los 60, comencé a aprender italiano, no por trabajo, sino por... Para poder cantar ópera en su lengua materna. También aprendí a vivir sola sin sentirme sola. Leía poesía en voz alta cada noche, no para perfeccionar mi dicción, sino para aquietar mi alma.

A los 70, volví a los escenarios shakespearianos, algo que alguna vez creí haber superado. Pero esta vez, no tenía nada que demostrar. Me paraba en esas tablas con quietud, y el público lo percibía. Ya no estaba actuando. Simplemente estaba siendo.

A los 80, empecé a pintar con acuarela. Pinté flores de mi jardín, sombreros viejos de mi juventud y rostros que recordaba del metro de Londres. Cada cuadro era un recuerdo silencioso hecho visible.

Ahora, a los 95, escribo cartas a mano. Estoy aprendiendo a hornear pan de centeno. Todavía respiro profundamente cada mañana. Todavía adoro la risa, aunque ya no intento hacer reír a nadie. Amo la tranquilidad más que nunca.

Escribo esto para decirles algo simple:

Envejecer no es el acto final. Puede ser el capítulo más exquisito, si Permítete florecer de nuevo.

Que estos años venideros sean tus AÑOS DE TESORO.

No necesitas ser famoso. No necesitas ser perfecto.

Solo necesitas entregarte plenamente a la vida que aún es tuya.

Con amor y dulzura,

Patricia Routledge"

@astraea