What Tigger Are You?

The 4-Quarter Lives Edition of the Hundred Acre Wood

Tapping Into My Inner Magnolia Tree, Photo by Andy Feliciotti on Unsplash

It’s hot. Let’s chill. The news this morning is again catastrophic, so am offering a pause on reaction.

I’m on a plane to Lisbon today for the 2nd edition of our Longevity Leadership Programme at Catolica Lisbon School of Business and Economics. More about that next Sunday… and a bit more seriously!

But today, in honour of our new puppy, Tigger, and my man’s decidedly Eeyore-leaning tendencies, and my son asking which character was I then… we voted for Kanga.

That got me launched into a rabbit hole, or a beautiful, playful wood. Here’s a list of Winnie-The-Pooh life archetypes. And the metaphorical plant they may inhabit in the Hundred Acre Wood imagined by A.A. Milne. Who are you?

What a Strange World

Kanga — The Midlife Maven
She's no longer just a mum. Kanga has become a longevity leader, a coach of transitions, and a curator of intergenerational connection. She’s got one foot in reflection and the other in reinvention. Her toolkit includes passports, Pelotons, and podcasts. Roo is now grown, but Kanga’s still guiding—just with more flair, less fuss, and better shoes.

🌸 Her Forest Role: Magnolia Tree
Strong, elegant, and perennial. A magnolia blooms boldly each year, rooted in ancient wisdom yet fresh with every season. Like you, it holds presence and grace, drawing attention without needing to shout. A keynote in full bloom.

Tigger — The 3rd Quarter Enthusiast
Still bouncing, but now he calls it energy mapping. He’s on his fourth career, launching a purpose-led startup for retirees with ADHD (I literally met him this week at a meeting at the London Inter-disciplinary School or LIS, redefining the MBA). A little impulsive, occasionally exhausting, but never boring. He’s figuring out how to bounce with meaning—not just momentum.

🌿 Wild Honeysuckle
Fragrant, climbing, and a little unruly. Tends to grow in unexpected directions, wrapping itself around everything in sight with enthusiasm. Attracts attention, bees, and occasional side-eyes—but always brings joy.

Eeyore — The Reflective Retreater
Now in his seventies and deep in his contemplative phase. Has joined three book clubs and dabbled in memoir writing, but still prefers solitude and weather-watching. Occasionally frustrated by the pace of change—and by Tigger. A good listener, if you don’t mind a sigh between sentences.

🍂 Silver Birch
A little weathered, gracefully drooping, and deeply resilient. The silver bark hints at wisdom hard-earned. It may sway in the wind, but it stands tall through storms. An anchor with poetic melancholy.

Owl — The Intellectual Elder
Still convinced he invented wisdom. Writes long Substack essays with footnotes. Beloved for his perspective, slightly resented for his pontificating. Recently took a fellowship in “post-growth ageing narratives.” Trying to learn how to listen—sometimes succeeding.

📘 Olive Tree
Ancient, gnarly, and wise. Just like the ancients I admired recently in Puglia. Produces fruit slowly but meaningfully. Lives long, talks long. Respected across ages and cultures—even if he sometimes repeats himself.

Rabbit — The Organised Optimiser
Retired from middle management but running four volunteer committees and a weekly longevity supper club. Still bossy, still busy. Deeply resistant to unstructured time but secretly dreams of learning to paint. Believes in productivity—hasn’t yet discovered play.

🌾 Topiary Boxwood
Carefully trimmed, determinedly upright, and highly organised. Doesn’t tolerate wildflowers too close. But a classic of structure and reliability. Works best in a walled garden with a clipboard.

Pooh — The Gentle Slow-Lifer
Has embraced forest bathing and now teaches mindfulness workshops to bees. Believes in the beauty of boredom, honey, and hugs. Finds all this talk of purpose a bit much, but offers deep, intuitive presence. Still confused by tech. Still beloved by all.

🍯 Sunflower
Steady, grounded, and always turning toward light. Follows the sun, loves simplicity, and feeds others generously. Might forget things, but never forgets how to be kind.

Piglet — The Courageous Late Bloomer
Quietly coming into their own. After years in the background, Piglet is writing a memoir called Small Steps, Big Life. Recently started mentoring younger woodland creatures on self-doubt and speaking up. Everyone’s rooting for Piglet. Especially you.

🌼 PIGLET – Snowdrop
Delicate-looking but emerges first through the frost. Quiet strength in fragile form. The courage to bloom before the rest of the garden even knows it’s time. A symbol of hope and new beginnings.

Roo — The Rising Quarter
Now in their 30s, Roo is exploring the messy middle. Working in social impact by day, DJing by night. Torn between staying in the Wood or moving to the city. Calls Kanga regularly, but with an air of independence. Trying to redefine adulthood on their own terms.

🌱 Bamboo Shoot
Fast-growing, flexible, and still discovering its direction. Can seem messy in its early stages, but full of potential. Needs space, sunshine, and occasional boundaries.

Christopher Robin — The Crossroads Soul
Revisiting the Wood after years away. Perhaps the most quintessential 4-Quarter Lives candidate: wondering what still fits, what’s worth keeping, and what needs reimagining. He’s listening more, learning anew, and reconnecting—with himself, and his old friends.

🍁 Ginkgo Tree
Ancient, reflective, and undergoing transformation. The ginkgo drops all its golden leaves at once—a symbol of sudden insight and reinvention. Standing between past and future, remembering the forest, and asking what’s next.

Tigger In Action

Take care of yourselves, stay out of the heat where it may be hitting you, and keep up with the news with caution and as much cross-cultural input and perspectives as you can. Wander instead, deeper and deeper into the woods of midlife.

"It's not the journey or the destination that matters, it's the companions along the way."

I’ll report back from Lisbon.