Just a Number

For our first cover story of 2026, we brought together five extraordinary Bostonians, all of whom are in their 80s or close to it. Spending time with our fabulous five made one thing clear: Living well as you age doesn’t necessarily mean slowing down. If you stay rooted in what matters, move your body, love the people close to you, and show up for life with purpose, you will be living your best life.

I’ve been a personal trainer in Back Bay and Beacon Hill for over a decade, and I’ve been lucky enough to have four of our cover models as clients. I’ve worked alongside them while they’ve experienced personal triumphs and setbacks, new chapters, and all the everyday moments in between. They’ve taught me that aging well isn’t about chasing youth or turning back the clock. The best approach, according to them, is to stay engaged, keep busy, exercise your body, mind, and your sense of humor, and remain curious about life.

Barbara and Peter Sidel

“We choose each other, every day.”
Barbara and Peter Sidel were high school sweethearts. She was 15 and he was 16 when they first connected. Their love song was “Moon River.” But they went their separate ways after graduation and wouldn’t reconnect until decades later at a dinner party. They hadn’t seen or talked with each other for nearly 40 years. Several years later, Barbara’s husband passed away, and by that time, Peter had divorced. Peter asked Barbara out for a date. She accepted. They married a year later.

They are now rarely apart, usually holding hands and often hugging and kissing. They walk in the early hours of the morning for two to three miles. They eat healthy and toast each other with Pellegrino. They describe themselves as “very lucky.” A retired real estate lawyer, Peter has a calm, grounded presence. He fills his days with hobbies and practices that keep him well: early morning walks, learning the piano, exercising daily, and reflecting on the good things in his life. If you ask him what he loves most, he’ll tell you immediately—his wife, and the ability to give to others.

Barbara, who exudes warmth and elegance, has her own advice about living well. For her, material things never brought happiness. It’s health, family, and friends that matter. They are the things that keep her heart and outlook the brightest. She keeps her body moving and her mind stretching, but she has also gifted herself permission to rest, set boundaries, and slow down when needed. And emotionally, she stays connected to the people she loves.

Jane Timken

“Kindness and generosity matter most.”
Just a few blocks away from Peter and Barbara in Back Bay, Jane Timken is living a life that proves reinvention is always possible. Jane has been many things in her lifetime: a Byzantinist, a book publisher, a letterpress printer. After turning 60, she became an artist. Her life is a reminder that creativity doesn’t fade with age. Often, it deepens.

A native New Yorker who still spends time there, Jane finds the intimacy of Back Bay refreshing. She loves the sense of community here—the familiar faces, warm exchanges, a slower walking pace. These things have become a vital part of her well-being. She loves to laugh, learn, and stay curious. She continues to evolve, proving that purpose doesn’t retire. When she’s feeling low, helping someone else immediately lifts her spirit.

Jane works out three days a week building strength, balance, and flexibility with online classes by Beacon Hill Village. She also takes long walks along the Commonwealth Mall, and says the natural beauty helps her stay clear and grounded. Her beloved 11-year-old standard poodle, Aria, is always by her side on her walks. Aria is close to her heart, a loyal companion who provides comfort and joy.

Annette Miller

“Show up every day, even when you don’t feel like it.”
Actress Annette Miller has a vitality that comes from decades of being on stage. Annette has performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, in Boston, in regional theaters, in films and on television. She spent 20 seasons as a leading actor at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, where she was a beloved presence both on and off the stage.

Annette believes in perseverance. Showing up—even when it’s hard, even when the audience is tough, even when life is demanding—has been her modus operandi, and it has resulted in a life filled with meaning. She brings the same approach to her family, which she says is the most important “role” she’s ever had.

Her wellness habits are grounded in movement and connection. She walks the streets of Back Bay often, letting its beauty energize her. Emotionally, she stays deeply connected to her husband, children, and grandchildren. And she continues to immerse herself in the theater and cultural world, both as an artist and an audience member. She is also active in the Jewish community, while cherishing the diversity that Boston brings into her life. What Annette loves most about life is being part of it: engaging, thinking, questioning, solving, comforting. She says, “If I’m still here, there must be a reason. There must be something I have to do.”

Anne Swanson

“Back Bay is worthy of care and preservation, and so am I.”
Anne Swanson, a retired book editor for Houghton Mifflin, has lived in and cared for her neighborhood for the past forty years. When Anne talks about Back Bay, she sounds like she’s describing a longtime friend. She has written a book about the neighborhood’s history and is deeply involved with the Neighborhood Association of Back Bay, a group that helps maintain its streets.

Anne stays healthy by exploring Boston on foot. Ours is a walker’s city, and Anne likes to wend her way through different neighborhoods, discovering new details, meeting new people. These walks nourish her physically, mentally, and spiritually. She appreciates life’s sensual pleasures: good food, good wine, art, architecture, music, and literature. In winter, she is content to sit by the fire with mulled wine and Mozart.

Her community here is vast, and she has built hundreds of connections over decades of gatherings, conversations, and shared commitments to the neighborhood’s history and charm. Anne’s favorite part of life is color. “The human eye can perceive a million different shades of color,” she says, and New England gives her a front row seat to nature’s changing palette. It is, as she puts it, one of life’s most affordable luxuries.

These five Bostonians have one thing in common: They show up for their lives. They stay curious. They stay connected. They choose joy. And they remind us that aging well isn’t something we hope for. It’s something we practice every day.

Cindy Sullivan is a certified fitness professional specializing in midlife and older adult training. She focuses on strength, balance, and functional movement, and uses evidence-based techniques to help adults stay active, independent, and confident in their daily lives.