So many sweet younglings in the 40s age group talking about aging <sigh> Here I am about to hit 60, now that sounds scary to me!, I am scratching my head and wondering what on earth happened to the 50s! It is not the age thing that bothers me, it is the way time goes out of control, those time gremlins just get out there and speed up time so you just begin to enjoy a decade and it is over before it begins
I get frustrated with my body, the mind is forever young with some wisdom tacked on top ( yes we do gain wisdom over the years
), I still want to skip rope, and walk along the top of garden walls, roll down a hill, and do any number of fun silly things, but the body brings one to a screeching halt at times. Simple things like squatting down to do something, then having to grab something to pull yourself upright again, no matter how ioften you exercise and maintain a good level of fitness, the joints do suffer from wear and tear and there is no getting around that. I notice it with a number of BD movements, they are not so easy to execute anymore, and the cold weather certainly makes it worse. Then there is the external body changes, not just the lines and furrows that are a part of the aging process, but the thinning hair ( I have no issue with grey hair - it is the loss), the thickening waist and extra fat padding that appears no matter what you do, the drooping skin on belly, the sagging boobs ( if you are a larger size) - I tire more easily and that is so annoying for me. My eyesight has dimmed - small print is goobledegook these days I loved my 40s, I enjoyed the 50s, until 58 then it seemed that overnight time decided that I should take on the appearance of a "traditional oldie" (I am lucky to not have many wrinkles, just that awful formation of the jowls which ages you terribly and the loss of fullness in the lips)- Well I refuse and I am fighting it for all I am worth. I am sorry I refuse completely and utterly to grow old gracefully. I don't want to look like a 20/30/40 year old, I want to look like a healthy clear, firm skinned women, that could be late 40s/50s/60s you know the ageless type. I don't want a body that refuses to do what I want it to do, I don't want to dread the winter months because of arthritic knees and hips, which also don't move as well for dancing, and if any one came up with a painless potion to turn back the clock, I would absolutely be knocking down doors to acquire that potion.
I have a gorgeous 73 year old active friend and my 80 year old mother and both openly and vehemently say "aging sucks" ( Now my hand is raised as well). In our 40s and 50s we are are all quite gungho about the aging process - until it happens.
Sure the mind may remain young and the child remains within and appears often, and you have days where the body responds "youthfully" and it is wonderful.
But for every woman and man who says they will grow old gracefully to my mind hasn't reached there yet, yes maybe 1 in 5 will do so, but the rest will fight to stay the process in whatever way they can, and what a bonus, youthful outlook, healthy firm body, with the wisdom one gains over the years, the fearlessness that seems to come with wisdom, The I don't need your approval, but I need to approve of myself. There are so many facets to life, we really don't need to "age mentally or physically gracefully", we have no choice but to accept the aging process, but we can do whatever we can to maintain as much youthfulness in body, mind and spirit as we can.... Ok Must find the oil can and oil up these darn joints!
Don't grow old gracefully, grow old youthfully and wickedly That's my motto!
~Mosaic