DECEMBER 2020 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 37
APPRECIATION FOR LIFE
and I had to cover the royal wedding
of Diana and Charles. I felt like I was
helping make things change in the
workplace for women. ABC got a lot of
letters from viewers in support of what
they saw happening for me. But also
there was the realization that while
it was wonderful that my workplace
was accommodating, what about other
women? This set me on a path to be an
advocate for women. Earlier this year I
testified before Congress urging them
to support the Family and Medical
Insurance Leave Act.
As a wife and mother of seven, what’s
your advice to women about work-life
balance? Don’t feel guilty. Guilt is the
bane of working women. We’re always
asking ourselves, “Am I at the right
place at the right time?” When people
ask my three older children what it
was like when I was working at GMA,
I love what they say: “That she showed
us that we can do a lot with our life. We
can be a mom, raise kids, and do other
things.” I was relieved to hear them say
this — you’re always worried that you
screwed them up.
You’ve had an amazing career. What
are some highlights? It was thrilling
to cover the royal weddings of Diana,
Fergie, and Kate, to cover presidential
inaugurations, the Olympics, and
do things like fly in a fighter jet that
landed on an aircraft carrier. But then
there are stories that I still carry with
me. One of them was a story with the
American Lung Association. In the
segment a pregnant woman who was
a smoker was hooked up to an ultrasound
machine and when she took a
puff, we could see the baby cringing.
We saw how a baby feels when it’s not
getting oxygen. We got boxes of mail
about that show. That was more than
20 years ago. Back then the dangers
of smoking when pregnant weren’t
well known. It brought home that you
can’t smoke and drink when you’re
pregnant. Another story was about a
woman whose daughter was killed by
a drunk driver. We interviewed her
on the day the driver was being put to
death. She said the first few years after
her daughter’s death she was filled with
hatred. It consumed her so much that
her marriage fell apart and she got
a divorce. We asked her how she felt
about him being put to death. She said
she forgave him. She said something I’ll
never forget. “A heart filled with anger
has no room for love.”
You’re a longtime health advocate.
In 2014 you had to fight for yourself
when you were diagnosed with
triple-negative breast cancer. How
did your life change? Breast cancer is
viewed as a horrible thing, but within
24 hours of my diagnosis I realized it
was an opportunity for me to carry
on my dad’s legacy. He was a cancer
surgeon. I didn’t become a doctor, but
I could pass the baton. I could help get
information to women and offer emotional
support. Breast cancer changed
the trajectory of my life and career.
When you survive a crisis you get a
new appreciation for life. Getting cancer
pushed me to learn about my body.
I felt empowered by what I found out
and I wanted to share what I learned. It
gave me new purpose.
What inspired your latest book, Why
Did I Come Into This Room? After cancer
I wanted to age successfully. I like to
write about what I want to know more
about — that’s my North Star. It took
six years to write because something
always got in the way. But I had to get
this done. This book is for all my sisters.
We age differently than men because of
estrogen. We don’t talk enough about
aging. I want the book to be a conversation
starter. I went there, talking
about what’s frustrating, annoying,
embarrassing as we age, everything
from a decrease in libido, leaky bladders,
the forgetfulness, and expanding
waistlines. I mean, I know I didn’t eat
more Tostitos last year. Women need to
know that what they are going through
is normal, otherwise they think what
the heck is happening to me and go
down the path of thinking, I am less relevant,
less sexy. That’s a terrible path. I
want them to know what to expect and
offer fixes, small tweaks they can make
in their life that will have a big impact.
Speaking of aging, you just celebrated
your 70th birthday. What was it like
to hit that milestone? I like to say I got
off the age train at 45. When I look in
the mirror and how I feel, I’m between
45 and 50. But I was a little freaked out.
We grew up thinking 70 is old. Back
when my mother was young, 59 was the
average life expectancy. We grew up
hearing our parents talk about helping
Uncle Charlie who can’t keep up, so in
the back of our minds aging means
decline, and that can be a self-fulfilling
prophecy. It doesn’t have to be. It’s about
attitude. You can extend that third stage
of your life if you’re willing to do the
work.
Are you slowing down any? Not at
all. I don’t want to. I’m incredibly busy
and there are a lot of opportunities.
I play tennis and hike. During summers
in Maine I’m into the climbing
wall. I’m good at it. I pride myself on
getting up that wall. The first time I
did it my arms hurt so bad it hurt to
brush my teeth. I learned the trick is
using the lower half of your body for
strength. But what has changed is how
I view the passage of time. From my
30s through my 50s I was gunning at
a rapid pace against the clock. I don’t
do that anymore. I’m not in a race. I
do what I damn well please. When I
make the drive between my home and
the office, I notice the sun coming
through the trees. In my 30s I was too
busy to see the sun. I have a sense of
freedom.
PRESS HEALTH
Joan Lunden remains active into her 70s.
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