When Hillary Clinton was in Vietnam during the last few days, an artist there presented her with a jewel-encrusted portrait of her with daughter Chelsea. The piece was modeled after a photo of them taken when they were in Vietnam together in 2000. The gift was in honor of Chelsea’s upcoming nuptials to her longtime boyfriend at the end of the month.

I have no idea if I’m correct, but I would bet Hillary and Chelsea are friends. I’d guess they confide in each other, have fun together and respect each other tremendously. We sure have different relationships with our adult sons and daughters than we had with our moms. Moms used to be moms to their kids. That was it. Today, we’re a whole lot more, including mentor, pal, therapist, sounding board, and sometimes even boss.

I love hanging out with my kids a whole lot. I know they wouldn’t want to be with me 24/7–or even 12/3–but they know I’m here for them whenever they want. After all, that’s what friends are for.

A single or unattached 22-year-old woman in the 1960s was about to enter “spinsterhood.” As the decades moved on, the entry point for spinsterhood moved up, so by 2010, a woman could enter her thirties without the spinster stigma.

But I see something else happening in our society today: Many women are entering their forties, fifties and beyond—successful, satisfied, secure and single. They aren’t embarrassed and ashamed to be man-less. They still look cool, sexy and confident, even without a man by their sides.  They’re adopting kids on their own, giving birth to kids on their own (all you need is sperm!) and buying homes on their own. They know enough men they can call on to escort them to a party, event or come along for a movie. Even to have sex.

Granted, not all women feel this confident and relaxed about being sans man. Many still feel anxious and worry they’ll be alone for the rest of their lives and never have kids. Although I understand wanting to be part of a couple, married or not, I feel bad for women who become scared and desperate. That state of mind can be pretty big turnoff to a man. Personally, I think it’s better to never marry or marry later in life than to marry out of hopelessness.

I’ve been married, divorced, alone and in relationships.  The way I like being best is being happy with myself. No man can make that happen for me.

I’ve become a dog lover in my FOF years. I was nipped in my upper thigh by a neighbor’s dog when I was a kid, an incident that instilled the fear of God in me whenever I came within 50 feet of a dog, even if it weighed in at three pounds. I had to go to the ER to have the bite cauterized.

My dog fear dissipated over the years, but I still wasn’t a big dog fan. Actually, I thought any woman who adored a dog really needed a good man.

Turns out, I barking up the wrong tree. After hearing David talk about how much he loved the dogs he’s owned, I wanted one. My biological dog clock must have kicked in.

We took Rigby home a little over four years ago, and although everyone I know thinks he is a spoiled brat, needy and a pest, I love him. I can’t even tell you why I love him, especially because I agree he’s a brat. Maybe it’s because he would be lost without me. Where would he get his food, his shelter, and his companionship? And who would wag their tail furiously when I came home?

Rigby and I went into a pet store on tonight’s walk, where I always like to look at the puppies for sale.  I wanted to take them all home, especially the ones who looked forlornly up at me.

I could tell Rigby knew he was a lucky dog.

My maternal grandmother suffered a heart attack when she was in her seventies, so my mom went to be with her. My dad would have to fend for himself for one or two nights, which was somewhat of a problem since he:  a.) Would be lonely b.) Couldn’t boil water c.) Probably wouldn’t be able to sleep without my mother next to him.

At the time, I was married, in my twenties and lived in Manhattan. My parents lived in Queens, which was an hour train ride away. I knew what I had to do: Visit dad after work to prepare dinner for him and keep him company for an hour or two. Here I am, forty years later, and I can remember that evening like it was yesterday. I was doing a good deed for my mom, but it was crazy! She was guilty leaving him; he was a baby, and I was a dutiful daughter.  It would take Sigmund a lifetime to figure out what that was all about.

It doesn’t matter that it’s now 2010. Some men and women today are just like my mom and dad were decades ago.  I don’t know who is worse off, the man who can’t be without his mate, or the woman who worries that her man will fall apart if she leaves for a few days. Some women I know refuse to leave their husbands to enjoy time on their own.

Men can be such babies. But is it really necessary for us to pacify them so.

If I am in a position to do a favor, I will.

Often, I offer to do favors for people who haven’t even asked. I also do favors for people who aren’t in positions to return the favors, and will probably never be.

A neighbor’s son needed a summer job a few years ago, so I called someone who I thought could help, and he got a job.

I knew my sister, Shelley, would be tickled pink to come to The Today Show with me last week, so I invited her.

Two FOF friends are starting a new business and I helped them strategize their marketing plan.

A client was talking about her daughter, who was in law school and looking for a summer job at a law firm. I told my husband to hire her and he did, even though he usually hired interns from his alma mater. It worked out so well, this young woman is going to work full time for my husband.

If a friend of a friend, a friend of a relative or a relative of a friend asks me to do a favor, I will oblige, even if I have to go out of my way.

There was a marvelous section in today’s New York Daily News about George Steinbrenner, who apparently did favors for all kinds of people throughout his life.

“Steinbrenner wasn’t impressed by someone’s (job) title. He didn’t believe in a label. You don’t have to be President of the Boys & Girls Club or from the American Cancer Society to get his attention.  You could just be a regular person.

“’F— labels! He’s a human being first!’ That’s the one quote that stands out the most. He used to say this all the time,” recalled Ray Negron, Steinbrenner’s special adviser for 38 years.

When I recently asked someone I know to do a favor for me, she lectured me about her self-importance and how busy she is and how she really couldn’t help. I was simply asking her to make an introduction for me.

Too bad George Steinbrenner never met this darling woman to explain the facts of life to her. Her big title and big pay checks don’t make her a big person.

I lost an earring this week. It wasn’t the first earring I’ve lost, but it was an earring I adored, and I’ve owned it only a couple of months. I’m having a replacement made because they reflect me more than any other earrings I’ve ever owned.  Looking like miniature gold fish skeletons, they dangle and sway easily. I planned to make these my “signature” earrings.

I wear the same five silver bracelets on my right arm every single day, so I guess you’d call them my “signature” bracelets. Strangers compliment them all the time, which pleases me. I bought them over a few years and they’ve become part of my “family.” I’ve also adopted the color orange, which my sister loved first. It’s a happy color.  That’s why it’s the FOF “signature” color.

Another FOF friend is known for her Hermes scarves and jewel-encrusted brooches, and other for her pin-straight, dark hair, which is cut in a bob. She’s worn the exact same hairstyle for years, so I consider it her “signature” hair.

Even if I’m only talking about pieces of jewelry and hairstyles, I think there’s something cool about the idea of “signature” looks. Usually, the things we wear all the time reflect our personalities. My pal’s bob reminds me of her exacting nature. She prefers things to be in their place and is a perfectionist. The FOF Hermes scarf and pin aficionado is conservative, yet colorful and intricate. Like my five bracelets, I am eclectic.

It’s taken me years to discover my look. I used to change it all the time, but that’s because I was trying to find out who I was. I’m thrilled that I finally found out.

I met Gayle King today, as in Oprah’s friend, Gayle King.

She invited me and my son, Colby, onto her radio show to talk about the new “Date My Single Kid” section of FOF because she liked the concept and wanted to hear our take on it; how it’s being received and whether I’m a meddling Jewish mom because I like to set up my son. She also wanted to know why Colby needed to have his mom involved in his dating life.

I could tell I would like Gayle because the young woman producer who works for her, J.J., was warm and friendly when we were communicating by email earlier in the week. And you can usually tell a person by the people she hires.

Anywho, Gayle was as real and unpretentious a FOF woman as you can get. She may be Oprah’s friend, which is how America met her in the first place, but her continued success has little to do with whose friend she is.

Gayle sits in a small room with J.J., headphones in her ears and a microphone in front of her. Guests sit across from her with the same setup. She interviewed Colby and me as if we were pals and she was genuinely interested in what we had to say, not as if she was a big media celeb and we were just another pair of bodies in her aura. She hardly wears makeup and she dresses coolly  and comfortably.

Lois, the head of our PR agency,  told us it was the best interview with us that she’s heard. I agree. Gayle didn’t overpower us or take over the interview by incessantly talking about herself, as many interviewers often do. I was thrilled to be on her show, not because she’s well known, but because she liked what we’re doing and helped give it even more credibility.

When a smart, successful FOF woman likes what another one is doing, she wants to share it. That’s what FOF is all about.

Thank you, Gayle and J.J., from the bottom of my matchmaking heart.

Listen to the interview now.

Walking Rigby in the evening gives me a chance to decompress and to focus on fun, interesting things in my neighborhood.

One evening I might pay particular attention to the penthouse  terraces of grand old apartment buildings in my neighborhood. How cool it would be to have a big ole “backyard” in the sky overlooking Park Avenue or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Another evening I might be drawn to every shop window, even the displays in the CVS Pharmacy across the street from where we live.

Tonight my eyes met those of an elegant FOF woman, and we smiled to one another. She looked to be in her seventies, maybe close to eighty, and she had her arm linked with a man’s, perhaps her husband of many years. Her smile and her demeanor made me think she was a happy woman.

It warms my heart when I see couples like this. I am going to start looking for one every single day.

“Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools.”  ~Albert Einstein

Back in the day, when people disagreed with us, they told us to our face or on the phone, even through personal hand-written notes and letters. We’d argue over lunch, debate at parties, raise our voices via AT&T long distance and write pointed missives. If you took issue with an article in a magazine or newspaper, and sent an angry letter to the editor, you’d be required to include your name.

Technology has given rise to a brand new way to disagree: Anonymously commenting on the web. It’s hard to believe so many are spending so much time ranting about absolutely nothing. Intelligent disagreement and debate can be stimulating to the mind. Unrestrained anger is another thing entirely.

We have been overjoyed to see the incredibly enthusiastic reaction to the new feature on FOF, Date My Single Kid. FOF moms, aunts, grand moms and friends have been sending emails of joy, congratulations, encouragement and interest all day long, and so have their “kids.” Here’s a great example:

“Dearest Geri, Here in the South, mothers (both Jewish and Gentile) have crafted this skill of matchmaking to a fine art. You, my dear, have taken it to a new level of expertise. Proud to award you an honorary ‘Southern Mother’s’ award for going above and beyond your duty for the love of your son. Ya’ll take care, come see us sometimes and bless your heart!!!”

But every so often, we get a comment like this: “I would be afraid to get involved with your son if you are part of the package..you are a smother, not a mother..give this guy some freedom to find his own gal and butt out…..you are too much..” And this comment is mild, compared to some that claim I’m a disgrace to motherhood.

My son and the other young, cool people in the office tell me not to respond to comments like this because it only fuels the fire, so to speak.

I guess I agree.

This has been the craziest day of my FOF life. Starting at 6:30 a.m., producers from Today, Good Morning America, The Early Show, Fox & Friends, and numerous other shows, invited me and my son, Colby, to come on air to talk about Date My Single Kid, a new feature we launched today on FabOverFifty.com. They found out about the idea from an article that ran today in The New York Post.

The premise of DMSK is simple.  Many FOF women aren’t embarrassed, afraid or shy about fixing up our single “kids” (Our “kids,” in most cases, are twenty, thirty, even forty something.) Why not act as “agents” for them, I thought. After all, isn’t that what all the dating sites do anyway?

FOF members can post photos of their single kids on DMSK and tell everyone why they’re so fab. FOF moms (or friends, aunts, grand mothers, etc.) do the prep work, connect with each other, and then decide if their “kids” might be compatible. Of course, the kids need to go along with our idea for this to work. By the way, my 31-year-old single son is running DMSK.

Apparently, the idea resonated around the globe. The New York Post story has been picked up by the French newspaper Le Figaro, a morning talk show in the UK wants to do a segment on DMSK, and on and on.

Young women and FOFs have been writing to me and to Colby, all day. We’re thrilled everyone loves the idea. Tomorrow at 8:19 a.m., we’ll be on Today.  Meredith Vieira is interviewing us.  I wonder if she has a single daughter.