“Getting older is a blessing”
A reminder from my friend on my birthday
“No one wants to get old, but it’s better than the alternative.”
My brother whenever he makes me feel old
Anyone who knows me knows I love Fall. I can’t wait for it, and even though we are still in the midst of Satan’s armpit in Florida this time of year, Fall officially kicks off on my birthday in August- another thing I always look forward to.
My 48th birthday was a few days ago and as it approached, I noticed that while I was looking forward to kicking off fall, I have not looked forward to celebrating my birthday like I used to.
Growing older truly means everything to me, especially after a cancer diagnosis ten years ago and my uterus trying to take me out 2 years ago. But sometimes I feel a bit of a struggle with aging, and I won’t lie about what it is- it’s adjusting to and learning about the new woman I see in the mirror each year.
When I look in the mirror and miss the days when dying my hair was a treat, rather than a necessity (one day I will embrace the gray, but NOT TODAY!), it’s hard not to notice the changes. I can see all my experiences- good and bad.
-The scar on my neck that represents I’m a survivor, but also left a sexy little turkey wattle.
-The lines on my forehead that came from years of giving “WTH?” looks to my students and almost everyone else I know.
-The curves around my mouth that are more pronounced from all the years of laughing with family, friends, and students.
And then there’s the daily reminder that I don’t have the energy I once did. My kids, of course, think I’m ancient and don’t miss an opportunity to remind me. Sometimes just being in the same room with them makes me feel “old.” The other night I decided to dance along with my youngest to her favorite video, and noticed my booty poppin' ain’t what it used to be.
But as I reflected back on the days spent shaking my behind, I thought about how much I appreciate now having a crazy little mini-me to dance next to, and all the wonderful memories that came along with everything else.
It was a great reminder that aging is a blessing.
Though I still don’t understand why we have to turn into prunes, I am certain I can learn to love this year’s me the same way I had to learn to love myself in my 20s, and then again as a mom in my 30s, and now as an “ancient” and more tired mom in my 40s. We’re constantly learning, growing, stumbling, starting over or starting anew and with those comes loving ourselves in the process, no matter how much we change.
Whenever I begin to work on strengthening certain areas in my life, it’s only natural for me to look for ways to help others do the same, so I decided to add a "theme" for the month in my private Facebook community.
The theme in my group- Create the Life You Desire-for September is going to be Falling in love with YOU! Along with the regular content and topics I usually share and discuss, we will also be focusing on ways to show ourselves more love, and ways to fall in love with ourselves.
So if you haven’t joined yet, head over to Facebook and DO IT! It’s a free community with some pretty great ladies already in it.
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