As I watched 81-year-old Jane Fonda getting arrested at a climate change rally on Capitol Hill on Friday – the second time in as many weeks, magnificently stylish in her revolutionary-red coat as she was led away by a young policeman – I felt a wave of admiration: the older you get the more kudos there is in standing up for what you believe in, even if you've been doing it your whole life. There's nothing we like more than a gutsy Alpha-gran; from Fonda to Dame Helena Morrissey, 53, one of Britain's most successful businesswomen with a mere nine children and one grandson under her belt, and 71-year-old Hillary Clinton, flirting with the highest office on earth while maintaining a close relationship with daughter Chelsea and looking after her three grandchildren, which she describes as "an absolutely life-changing experience." Senator Elizabeth Warren, running for President next year, has three grandchildren of her own.
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These days high-achieving women don't stop their trajectories when they enter the 'third age.' Granny isn't longing for Red Riding Hood's visit; she's donning her own red outfit and marching out on a protest. Or working 24/7 on her new start-up. Alpha grans don't consider slowing down, still less (heaven forbid) stopping work – instead, they just add cuddling a grandchild to all their other tasks, glad their earnings allow them to buy stylish baby clothes.
I'll admit that back here in real-world grandmother land, Fonda's protesting exploits left me feeling a little jaded. It's fine for you, I thought, swanning around like a heroine – but I'm at home being an alpha-grandmother for real. This week was epic. We had two (seven and three) of our four grandchildren staying while their parents, my daughter and her husband, flew off to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary in (as fate would have it) Barcelona.
