I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about aging. I’m not sure why this particular subject came up, but we were talking about how people (especially women) feel they have to live up to what they see on the screen or see in magazines. Instead of being happy with the way we are, we spend a lot of money and time in salons or under the knife. I can definitely understand this mentality to a certain degree. While I have never gone under the knife or been injected with anything, I do spend time in salons. My facials, pedicures, etc. are part of my regimen, and I’m not ready to give them up. Is all this a way of hiding my real age from the world?
I’ve already mentioned in a previous post that I am turning 59 this year. The number is kind of a big one for me because that means 60 is right around the corner…knocking on the door. It just may take me a year to get ready for that age. I remember when I turned 50 and how hard that was for me. Initially, my family wanted to throw a big party for me, but I kept telling them that I didn’t want to celebrate turning 50. It was the first time that my age had bothered me. Turning 25, 30 or even 40 never bothered me. But for some reason that half-century mark did. I finally let it go and embraced the fact that I would be fifty no matter what I did. I enjoyed my surprise party with all my friends and family.
There’s a lot that goes through my mind as I grow older. I think about how it seems that the young are celebrated and the old are dreaded. I feel younger in my head, but my body is telling me otherwise. I remember growing up and how I wanted time to speed up but now wishing it would slow down. I look in the mirror and ask myself, “Where did my younger self go?”. I know that I’m not the only one that has asked this question and I won’t be the last. Like when I turned 50, I will figure a way to embrace turning 59 then 60.
I think what will help me to embrace any age is staying active, physically and mentally. I need to add more on the physical aspect, but overall I’m doing good. And luckily, I have my mother’s genes. Her hair turning grey and getting wrinkles came late for her…thank goodness! All I know is that I want to be able to handle any age with a little grace.
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