Who says television can't be educational? Here are some things we've learned about aging from binge-watching Netflix.
1. Being the supportive spouse sometimes stops being enough.
For decades, "House of Cards"' Claire Underwood publicly appeared as the supportive woman who stood loyally behind her ambitious husband, Frank Underwood. While they may be equal partners behind closed doors, Claire has shelved her own big ambitions to further his. Until now. She has a burning desire to move further and faster into her own powerful role. After years together, Claire is faced with a choice of keeping her marriage or pursuing her own ambitions. American politics have nothing on the politics of marriage.
2. Your adult kids don't necessarily like each other.
Keeping the peace among family can sometimes be a lofty goal in "Bloodline." The Rayburns work hard to forget the past and try to forgive each other’s flaws, but sometimes blood doesn't run deep enough for the love to survive. The close-knit family of four adult siblings' secrets and scars are revealed when their black sheep brother returns home for a family reunion.
3. Your son or daughter brings home the love of their life and you may be ...... less than thrilled.
When Ken and Lorna collect their daughter Rachel from the airport in "Cuckoo," they learn that she has returned from her gap year before medical school having married Dale "Cuckoo" Ashbrick, an eccentric American hippie with an exuberantly loving attitude who does not have a job and loves to take drugs. Yes, it's a comedy.
4. Older women need a little help in certain places.
Yam lube anyone? Could we love "Grace & Frankie" any more as they deal with aging issues head on? No, no we could not. If creating a vaginal lube out of organic yams wasn't enough, how about a farewell party for a close friend who chooses to die on her own terms and learning to forgive enough to officiate when your ex-husband marries the man he cheated on you with for 20 years?Perhaps at its core, aging is learning how to focus on yourself and find your joy -- at least that's something Frankie would say.
But to just circle back to the yam lube for a minute ...
5. As you age, friends matter more not less.
"Grace & Frankie" are about as unlikely a pair as they come, thrown together when their husbands announced their affair together. The two women, in their 70s, navigate the turbulence of lives turned upside down -- and in the process move from an alliance born of misery to a genuine, albeit unlikely, friendship. Friends rock.
6. Work at being flexible.
Aging brings out the stubborn side of people. You know the expression, "he's just set in his ways?" Well, don't be that guy.
Colt’s parents Maggie and Beau are separated on "The Ranch." While they no longer live together, they manage to maintain a physical and rather complicated relationship. Yep, we know a few of those couples in real-life too. Colt and Beau work to rebuild a tenuous but loving relationship between a 34-year-old son who comes home to reevaluate his life and a stubborn father who is set in his ways.
7. Live each day as if it's your last.
Nothing like a little family dysfunction to remind you that life is just too short. Let the ridiculousness of the Bluths on "Arrested Development" help you keep a little perspective on your own family.
8. Grieving is all-consuming.
There is a lesson to be learned from watching the charismatic "Longmire" sheriff patrol with a brave face and sense of humor while hiding the pain of his wife's recent death. With the urging of his daughter, Cady, and the help of Vic, a new female deputy, he gains a new appreciation of his job and decides to seek re-election. He's committed to putting his life back together, one piece at a time. But his pain? It's real and the glue that holds this show together.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.