She Looks 60… by JoAnn
Not a day goes by that there isn’t at least one reminder of our aging process. Some days, there is an abundance of reminders. It gets to be rather tiring and even depressing at some times. But what can be done about it? Absolutely nothing! Not after you’ve reached a certain point.
Like a skier on an icy slope, the years go by faster and faster. Once you hit 50, things seem to be all downhill. It’s hard enough to keep up with everyday life, much less the little annoyances that keep pecking away at us like a pesky little bird.
Oh, I know, you are probably screaming at your screen that I can exercise, go out with friends, eat healthy, travel, and do so many things to help. Maybe I could. But none of those things will take away the one thing that aggravates me the most lately, the spots. The dreadful age spots.
Every time I look in the mirror, I see a new one. Or one I didn’t notice the last time I looked. Forget about wrinkles, they only show when I smile. I don’t believe that to be so bad. But these dang spots. Where do they come from? Is it my inner self sending a secret message that it wants to get out? Or is it a road map of my life that is naturally tattooing my skin? Whatever they are, I wish them gone.
I bought my first bottle of Oil of Olay beauty lotion when I was 15. I fell in love with the smell and how it made my face feel. I have been using it ever since. I have always gotten compliments on my complexion. In my 30’s, people told me I looked to be in my 20’s. In my 40’s, I was told I looked too young to have grandchildren. Now that I am 60, well, I look 60. Enough said.
My mother had beautiful skin. Her face was wrinkle and spot-free till she passed at 76 years old. She always had a glowing complexion. I guess that gene passed me by. Although, our lifestyle has been different in many ways. She never worshiped the sun as I did in my younger years. She never put on a bikini and sunbathed for hours on a beach. She had a beautiful olive skin tone due to her Cherokee background and didn’t want to get too dark, so she shielded herself from too much sun. On the other hand, I could not get dark enough in my teens and twenties.
Scientists say the sun causes damage. But how does it show up some 40 years later? I must have bought hundreds of bottles and jars of beauty secrets during that time. Obviously, the secret is out. There is no secret! The question is, what do I do now? Or what product do I buy now? No wonder the beauty product industry is a billion-dollar-a-year success.
I write this all in fun—no offense to anyone. And don’t worry about me. I have come to terms with the fact that I am getting older each and every day. Just like I have been doing all my life. Each year of our lives, we have continued to grow and change. That is all we are doing now. The changes include grey hair, reading glasses, and spotty skin. Ugh.
This coming new year, I will make a resolution to improve myself. Just like I have every year, my entire adult life. That sounds pretty pathetic, doesn’t it? But this year, it will be a resolution to improve all of me. Mind, body, and spirit. That way, all the pressure won’t be on just what my body looks or feels like. I will do things to improve my brain function and peace of mind. And it will be okay if all that people say now is, “she looks 60.”
