Why I Am Glad To Be 50+

I had an eye appointment yesterday and I will have to have two cataract surgeries next year. To say I came home feeling old, and worn out was a understatement. I came home and looked in the mirror and decided that I would be thankful that I live in this age where they will take out my old lens and pop in a new one and I will be able to see. I thought about other things I am thankful for at this age.

Being over 50 means, I get to be who I am, really. Not that person I tried to be for the 40 earlier years, like Nancy Drew, or a California Girl in a string bikini, or a soccer Mom or any of those labels I tried to live up too. Now, I am just a me, full time.

Being this age, no amount of Oil of Olay will help. I am going to have lines, and gray hair and hopefully, I will have more laugh lines rather than grumpy lines. Smiles are far more encouraging than frowns and cost me nothing. As does being nice.

 I noticed the other day, I have some serious quirks. I never noticed, but when I get nervous, I talk too much. I have to keep telling myself to shut up and quit rattling along like a model T. I  realized that at this age, it would be easy to become a crone. I do have to fight selfishness really hard. Because at 55 I want to do what I want to do, every day, all the time.

I won't wear junior clothes anymore. I know that should have been something I  would have  noticed before now, but I didn't.  I went clothes shopping and bought new jeans in the woman's department, in the petite section. I love my jeans, I am happy again about getting dressed. At 55 I can be comfortable with how I am shaped and how I am built, since I was 10 years old I have been trying to be Twiggy. I have curves and hips. Having six kids does that.

I think today it dawned on me, I am who I am, the people who haven't liked me in the past won't like me now or ever. The people who like me now will go on being my friends. Life is too short to keep looking back.
I think at this age, being comfortable in my own skin is far more important than worrying about the other things that never happen. Being creative and liking the way things look to me is important. One thing I learned this week, is I don't like things symmetrical. It drives me nuts. I didn't know that until I was looking at Ron's wire trees. I love his trees but I found myself asking him to mix it up and make that branch look different from the other branches. It dawned on me, I like Whimsical. which means cockeyed, out of balance and there are people who like every thing to line up straight and be perfectly in line.. So this weekend I learned why. It isn't a bad thing, it is just how it is and it helped me to see, that being different is okay.

So being this age is a good thing. Yesterday, going to the eye appointment I didn't wear makeup. I really expected people to run from the office screaming in fright. No one did. They were polite and nice. I thought driving home, no one cares just be who you are because beauty is fleeting, and it is the gentle and quiet spirit that draws people not what I look on the outside.

Just thoughts rattling around in my brain today.
Thanks for stopping by I know how busy this time of year is so thank you,
~Kim~