It’s important for middle-aged women to embrace what we see in the mirror instead of spending countless hours looking at our flaws. We always seem to notice where we fall short, telling ourselves we look old, fat, or wrinkly. Rarely are we pleased with our reflection. Regardless of how good we might actually look, most women over fifty dislike their appearance.
I have had numerous conversations with young women in their twenties and thirties who complain in a similar fashion. They too only concentrate on the negatives just like we do. I try to explain to them how beautiful they are and how when they get older they will look back and wish for that “flawed” body and face. I tell them to be happy and rejoice in their youthful beauty. Unfortunately, women have been conditioned to be dissatisfied with their appearance throughout their lives. One of the obvious reasons is that we are constantly bombarded with images that are unreal and unattainable. I think that’s why we gravitate to magazines that feature stars without makeup or pictures of them with some cellulite showing.
You would think by the time women reach middle-age the concept of perfection would no longer haunt us but sadly this is not the case. I felt imperfect at twenty and at thirty but now I remind myself that one day I will look back and yearn for this body and face. So before time flies and we move forward 20 years let’s appreciate what we have. Let’s stop focusing on our negatives and concentrate on our positives because I’m certain that in twenty years I will wish for my 64 year old self, wrinkles and all. Just like I tell these young women I say to you: find peace and happiness in your current body. Try not to dwell on a pair of jeans that don’t fit or a new found neck wrinkle. Many of these flaws have fixes and some will never go away. Either way, one day when you’re eighty you will look back at your fifties and sixties and wish to be as you are now.
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