Adult women, it is said, have three phases: Maiden, Mother, and Crone.
Ummm …. “Crone”?
Seriously?
“Crone” doesn’t sound like much fun. Like a witch. And it turns out this is indeed embraced by … Wicca (witchcraft).
Rather, the proper term for the idealized older woman is: Matron. This is a mother whose children are out of the house, or nearly so. She is married.
The duties of a Matron are to take care of her extended family, namely: her adult children, and grandchildren. Then, with her free time since the children are out of the house, and with decades of experience, she can be active in the community in some way.
Also, typically with more wealth, and a house of her own, she can be involved in various forms of decorative and fine arts, beginning with beautifying the home; ambitious cooking, and all the other niceties of civilization. Because, who is going to do it, if not her?
This is all good fun for the Matron, and also contributes to the well-being of her extended family, and the community as a whole.
As we all know, one of the top activities of Matrons is … setting up marriages between their children. Who do you think organized and paid for all this stuff?
Cornerstone 