If you've read any of my earlier articles, you will know that I am an avid fan of More Magazine, the magazine for "women of style and substance." I was first introduced to it as a magazine for women over 40, so that's what drew me to it, because I doubt whether I have either style OR substance! But I love the article I just finished reading on the plane. (I read books when I go to bed, magazines when I travel and audiobooks when I'm in my car everyday!)
Judith Sills, Ph.d. makes a distinction between youth and being young. "Youth is a life era, from birth to 30 something. Being young is an attitude," and is something we should hold on to until we die! She says that simple things like getting our nails done, our haircut (or letting it go silver!) and putting on some lipstick can make us more willing to go out into the world and connect with other people. This is my favorite part when she is asked about wrinkles: "Stop thinking about yourself so much. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do what you can to look great. But once you've done that, stop looking at yourself and look out at the world. It's where everything interesting and exciting is." I so love that!
She also hates the term (as do I!) "age appropriate." This only serves to confine women and connotes negative expectations of what we should do, wear or look like as we get older. Phooey! (That's me talking, not her!)"'Age appropriate' never envisions older people having fun." She ends with: "The more invested you are in life, the less worried you are about what other people think." Amen to that! Aging to me is liberating! I don't have to look like I'm 25 anymore, because I'm not! I don't Botox, I don't wear Spanx and I wear my "good" jewelry and my bling everyday, because I don't like anyone, especially society, telling me that I have to subscribe to a certain way of being, because I'm middle aged. As one of my favorite characters- Popeye- used to say, "I y'am what I y'am!"
You've cried at weddings, right? At the birth of a baby? And, of course, you've probably cried at funerals, but have you ever stopped to wonder why both happy and sad events, make you so emotional? Even worse, do you often feel like you're the only one? I will impart wisdom gleaned from professional conferences, seminars, books and articles and/or I will blog my personal thoughts. Either way, I hope you check in often, so you know that your tears are never shed in a vacuum!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
About Me
- Ms. Baby Boomer-dang
- Dallas, TX, United States
- I am an educator and consultant, in the field of loss and grief. I love educating others, as well as learning from them, about life's little and big, happy and sad losses: marriage, divorce, moving away, losing one's health, aging gracefully.....or not......death of a loved one, a pet, a dream, children growing up and parents having to let go, etc. etc. Hopefully, you get the picture. Let's laugh, cry and learn together!
Posts
Love it ma! You are truly an original!
ReplyDelete