52 FREE Stories
2024 Holiday Special
It’s completely FREE
Enjoy 52 weekly stories by email during 2025.
Choose the "annual" plan by Valentine’s Day.
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What is “52 Shades of Graying?”
“52 Shades of Graying”is a series of 52 short stories that, over a year's time, guides older adults toward various stages of understanding about how to handle newly acquired limitations.
Every week subscribers to “52 Shades of Graying” receive by email a five-minute-read short story. These 52 stories are fiction but based on my 80 years of experience as a person with a disability.
Each new story is about an older adult (fictional character) who uses hindsight and foresight to offer a takeaway tip and a discussion question about an ageism or ableism issue mature individuals often encounter as they live through various shades of aging.
The resulting online dialogue often prompts members of the “52 Shades of Graying” community to privately share new insights and bedrock values with family and friends. It’s an easy, economical, effective and safe way to journal over a year’s time about topics not found anywhere else.
“52 Shades of Graying” is an online resource where ageism meets ableism in a positive, uplifting (and often amusing) manner within a growing, mutual-mentoring community.
Ageism is discrimination against older people due to negative and inaccurate stereotypes. Ableism is a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with disabilities.
Check this sample story that reflects the type of issues you can expect “52 Shades of Graying” to address on a weekly basis.
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Why I launched “52 Shades of Graying”
When I was nine, I was already walking like a 90-year-old man.
I’ve had eight decades to adjust to the fact that walking is always tentative for me due to my cerebral palsy.
That’s always been my reality.
But, what about the otherwise healthy woman who suddenly, at 75, has a stroke and finds she needs a walker to get around? How does she adjust to that new reality? How does she let her grand kids know what that experience has taught her about life and living -- tidbits she now wants to share with them?
I’m surprised. Very few people outside of academic circles are addressing "aging-plus-disability" issues. But today’s "2.0 mature adults" want to learn how to handle limitations effectively because 26 percent of them who are over 65 years old have acquired some form of disability.
That’s why I’m using my lifetime experience with disability to help (through storytelling) my fellow older adults adjust psychologically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually to newly acquired limitations -- and share their stories with family and friends.
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What others are saying
about “52 Shades of Graying”
“Love this … I’m going to subscribe!” - Mary Alice J.
“I resonated with your story!" - Kathleen M.
“Jim, I absolutely love reading your stories. You never disappoint …” - Mary K.
The magic of thought-provoking stories
My gift to you during these uncertain times: a little measure of hope and happiness in the form of a thought-provoking short story you can share with those closest to you each week of the coming new year.
Put magic in your thoughtfulness as a gift giver during 2024. Give annual subscriptions of “52 Shades of Graying” to those you cherish.
It will affirm your recognition during the next 52 weeks that, according to Brené Brown, The New York Times best selling author, vulnerability is the base for not only courage, openness and authenticity but also resiliency and empathy.
Here’s what you’ll get with a free subscription to “52 Shades of Graying”: 52 short stories, 52 takeaway tips, 52 discussion questions, 52 top-10 thought-provoking (and amusing) quotes.
The receiver of your gift subscription will get a full 52 weeks of stories and discussion/chats no matter when he or she becomes a member of the community because “52 Shades of Graying” is a revolving online service. When week 52's story is published, “52 Shades of Graying” reboots and starts another rotation of 52 stories, revisiting story 1, story 2 etc., with new comments and a new live chat and anecdote each week in another annual sequence.
At any time during a 52-week subscription, a subscriber can access all 52 stories by clicking on the archive link on the “52 Shades of Graying” home page.
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How to make your gift giving easier
Here’s what to do when you decide to give someone special in your life a year’s subscription to “52 Shades of Graying.”
Your recipient will automatically receive a “welcome new subscriber” email from me.
But before that “welcome” note is sent, you may wish to send a private message (available on your signup form) to clarify several things. Below is a template for that little message. You can edit and use it as you see fit.
Hi, XXXX:
As you will see in an upcoming email message, you are now all set to receive a “52 Shades of Graying” short story in your email each week during the next 12 months.
Whenever your subscription starts, it will automatically roll into 2025 to make sure you receive all 52 stories.
At any time during the year, you can access all 52 stories by clicking on the archive link on the “52 Shades of Graying” home page.
I hope you enjoy these short stories. Here’s a fan favorite.
XXXXXXX
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Here’s to mature-adult living!
Jim Hasse, ABC, GCDF retired, author of “52 Shades of Graying”
Sharing our Insights Each Week as We Discover New Shades of Aging