By Wendy — OverSixtyInsights
November 2025
Last week, I had the opportunity to do something truly special—I attended a book signing with Elyce Arons, co-founder of Frances Valentine and one of the two extraordinary women behind the brands Kate Spade and Frances Valentine. It is a story of friendship, resilience and reinvention.
I felt like a teenage fangirl – so excited to get my books signed and meet Elyce. And yes…I even got a photo with her, which I’ll be including in this post because it was one of those moments I want to remember.
A Book About Friendship, Hard Work, and Success
The event was centered around Elyce’s new book, We Can Make It After All: A Memoir of Friendship, a beautiful, moving tribute to her decades-long relationship with Kate Spade.
This book isn’t just about fashion—it’s about the kind of friendship where you become family.
The kind that sees you through college dorm rooms and corporate boardrooms.
Through babies, business decisions, heartbreaks, and all of life’s ups and downs.
Through reinvention when life hands you opportunities that were never anticipated.
Listening to Elyce talk about the love, laughter, and loyalty she and Kate shared—and the courage it took to rebuild Frances Valentine after Kate’s passing—felt like a reminder of something so many of us learn after sixty:
Friendship is one of the greatest stabilizers of a full, healthy, joyful life.
At this age, we’ve all lost people – both tragic (the loss of my niece at 19 or Elyce’s best friend Kate) to anticipated loss due to old age.
We’ve outgrown friendships, rebuilt others, and found new ones at unexpected times.
Elyce’s story is a testament to the truth that connection—real connection—can carry you through anything.
Elyce Arons: Warm, Genuine, Real
Meeting Elyce in person was such a delight.
She is warm, gracious, witty, and incredibly grounded—exactly the kind of woman you want to sit and have coffee with.
I went to this book signing with two good friends. We all came away from the event feeling like if we met Elyce in college or even today, she would be a fast friend that we would want to spend time with.
And here’s what struck me:
Even after incredible success and unimaginable loss, Elyce chose joy.
She chose beauty.
She chose to keep building something meaningful.
As she spoke, she shared how this chapter of life — with her kids grown and on their own — has given her a renewed sense of energy and purpose. Writing We Can Make It After All and continuing the legacy of Frances Valentine hasn’t just been work for her; it has reenergized her. You could hear the excitement in her voice. This isn’t a woman slowing down — this is a woman stepping into a vibrant next chapter, fueled by creativity, connection, and the belief that there is still so much ahead. She was inspiring!
What This Has to Do With Gratitude
I’ve been writing a lot about gratitude this month—especially the kind that shows up in ordinary, everyday moments. And this experience reminded me of another layer of gratitude we sometimes overlook:
Be grateful for the people who walk beside you through the decades.
The ones who know your chapters and cheer you into your next one.
Listening and learning from Elyce made me realize how much of our courage and resilience comes from the people who travel with us in this life.
Friendship — real, long-haul friendship — is its own kind of legacy.
It shapes us, lifts us, and carries us through grief, reinvention, and the unpredictable chapters we never saw coming. As Elyce talked about finding new energy and new purpose now that her kids are grown, I felt that same sense of possibility. That reminder that it’s never too late to create something meaningful, to start something new, or to honor the people who helped you become who you are.
Gratitude isn’t just about moments — it’s about the people who make those moments matter.
The Beauty of Reinvention at Any Age
One thing that Elyce and her book helped me understand was:
“Life gives you these unexpected turns, and you just keep going — but you go with intention.”
That felt like a message for anyone in their 60s, 70s, or beyond.
We are all given new chapters.
Some are joyful.
Some are painful.
But we get to choose how we walk through them—and what we create next.
Elyce chose creativity, starting something new and honoring her friend. What are you going to choose as you enter this third act of life?
You’re never too old to begin again.
You’re never too old to cultivate friendships.
And you’re never too old to create something meaningful.
What I Took Away From the Day
Leaving the Frances Valentine store, book in hand, I realized:
- Friendships can anchor us, even through the hardest transitions.
- Reinvention isn’t just possible after 60—it’s powerful.
- Gratitude often shows up in the form of people everyday.
- And sometimes, joy is found in a colorful store surrounded by women cheering each other on.
It was a beautiful afternoon, and I’m grateful I got to experience it.
If You Haven’t Read We Can Make It After All Yet…
I highly recommend it — especially if you love stories of friendship, resilience, creativity, and second acts.
It’s warm, funny, honest, and uplifting.
A perfect read for this season of gratitude.
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