When I was young I didn’t understand why anyone would even entertain the idea of plastic surgery. Have a surgeon cut you open just to defy aging?? How narcissistic! We should all just accept aging as a part of life and love ourselves for who we are!! I mean, look at Joan Rivers, who wants to look like her?
That was then. This is now. These days, I find myself doing that thing where you pull part of your face up, down, or sideways, depending on the desired effect, to see how you would look with just a tuck here or there. I’m also paying more attention to the infomercials for anti-aging products that are on while I am getting my nails done. “Why, Yes, Jane Seymour, I AM worried about crepey skin!”
Women get mixed messages constantly. Pick up any magazine aimed at women and you will likely see articles called “Love the Skin You’re In” alongside ones titled “Look Ten Years Younger by Drinking Algae Smoothies!” (Or something like that)
So, which is it? Do we love the skin we are in or do we shed those extra ten holiday pounds? Do we embrace and welcome the aging process or do we inject chemicals into our faces? I suppose the answer varies by person. It’s all what you are comfortable with. However, it’s difficult to be comfortable when you are 50; when you see old pictures of yourself and are envious of the face and body looking back at you; When you are at the age when you just want to say “screw it, give me a donut, I’ve lived a life! I’ve earned it!” (Full disclosure, I had one of those YOLO donut moments yesterday.)
You can say “age is just a number” all you want, but it’s a significant one. And for women, it comes with a whole Costco-sized bucket of insecurities. What’s the answer? Is it a Costco-sized bucket of Oil of Olay? Or is it having more confidence in who, what and where we are in life? I wish I had the answers. What I can tell you is that we are in this together, ladies. And take those articles with a grain of salt. Whether you use that salt to make a facial scrub to get rid of old dead skin, or you use it to top off a margarita, well, that’s up to you.
