I can't really write extensively about ageing
yet, as for me it's a process that has only just started to bed in. Clearly if I look at a photo of myself aged 25, I can really see the difference now, a little over ten years later. A lot happened in those ten years; no wonder! I am more conscious of
being older rather than of aging. I have a girl who helps me with the children in school holidays; she's a lovely girl, exactly what any mother would want in a daughter. She is precisely half my age! When I see the endless possibilities of her life stretching out ahead (she is in her first year of University now) it almost takes my breath away. She has no idea how many roads there will be to go down, how many choices to be made and how much of it will either pass her by or get decided for her by some other cosmic force.
It is incredible how the age process creeps up, how the laughter lines appear, those tell-tale signs on the skin, grey hairs that need a six week colour cover-up. Certain clothes start to somehow look inappropriate, without really knowing exactly why. Skirts can seem just a touch too short. A preoccupation with comfort over style. WAIT! No, surely not...
not that! Isn't the requirement that one always stays 'young at heart'? As is often the case, these things are all
in the mind..
Fundamentally though I find there is something empowering about getting older, even with its cruel little reminders in my appearance. I know my mind now, I know what suits me, I have much more confidence than I did ten years ago...so that outweighs a wrinkle or two, surely?
I think you hit the nail on the head. If we could only go back in time, but take the confidence with us. Can you imagine the possibilities if we could make all of our life decisions for the past 10 or even 20 years with the confidence we have in our 40's or 50's .
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely post, beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteI love that photograph of Keira Knightley. It's the one I gave the makeup artist who did my makeup for my wedding. Stunning.
I love your blog so much. It's nice to find someone else who blogs about similar topics as me: fashion, beauty and motherhood :-)
Very cute... getting older is not that bad... what happens is that somehow you also earn the right to more things than before...
ReplyDeleteYet again, your posts are remarkable. I love reading this, because I am starting to embark on the journey of aging myself as I will be 30 soon. I am actually excited to begin this journey because with age comes wisdom, and wrinkles add character right? ;)
ReplyDeleteThat picture of Kiera is beautiful.
Marcie
It sure does - I wouldn't swap my acceptance and comfort at where I am in the world for youthful skin & a flat tummy...
ReplyDeleteI am SO with you!!! I am about to turn 36, and a number of things have happened in the past few years, I can't lose weight so easily now, and just have to accept that I'm probably always going to be a bit heavier than I would like (and I'm not at all heavy, just not svelte like I used to be!). My skin will never be luminous again (if it ever was, greasy is probably a more apt term for my teenage skin!). I can't rock the miniskirts so much anymore, but you know what? I really don't care, I'm actually kind of enjoying getting a little older, I like not having to care so much about what I look like these days, I'd like to think that some of that youthful vanity has been replaced by wisdom and integrity. Loved this.
ReplyDeleteWell I have 10 years on you and I still feel so young sometimes ~ until I see something come back into style again!! Thank you so much for your wonderful comments over at my blog. I am a new follower of yours!
ReplyDeleteAh...wait till you hit 50 Louise. You will be on fire!!
ReplyDeleteJeanne:)
SO great. I am so much more content with myself in my 40's than ever. When I see my gorgeous girl fretting over this or that imperfection (all in her mind) I just want to hug my 20 year old self and tell her it all turned out just right.
ReplyDeleteHappy weeks end Darling.
Spot on - again! It is exactly so much about the confidence and acceptance inside isn't it? There has to be something to make up for the fact that the skin is slightly saggier I suppose! Wouldn't change myself back to my insecure 20-something self for the world.
ReplyDeleteThat photograph of Keira Knightley is stunning! I wish my bloody hair would do that!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you - I can't whine about aging just yet, but when I peer in the mirror I can see teeny tiny wrinkles around my eyes that weren't there before (I just whack a heap of moisturiser on them in a bid to make them go away). But I'm kind of liking getting older - really figuring out what I want from my life and actually building the strength to achieve it. I think I look better now than I did when I was younger, too (Lord knows I wear better clothes and shoes!) ... I'm figuring there's still quite a while to go before the "downhill" part of the proceedings kicks in!
PS. I may have accidentally posted some kind of comment on this post before without realising - it's giving me the "your comment will be visible after approval" message though I'm not sure why?!
Love this post! My beautiful daughter is 12.5 y/o and is in her first year of high school. She is on the cusp of teenagerhood and her life is about to get a whole lot more interesting. Funny I would not want to be 'young' again. There is sooooooo much you have to go through. I just want to share some knowledge with my girls and hopefully provide a guiding light. They will have to find their own way, I just want to be the beacon that warns them if they are on track or not (wish me luck with that!). Love the way you describe wearing certain clothes (ha, ha). I always ask myself 'is that age appropriate'. My barometer is my eldest daughter. If I pick something up and she asks is that for you or me? I always put it back!!
ReplyDeleteI love being 38 (nearly 39) and would not want to go back to any other age...bring on the 40's!!
I sometimes think when I look in the mirror of the lessons that put those little crinkles there. Living to fast, working to long. Though I don't have children, I now have the urge to tell the secrets. Stay out of the sun, rest all you can, but do they equal regrets for me. No Louise, I do it all again, whooooo hooo what a ride? Happy life after all!
ReplyDeleteI hear you on confidence. I wish I had had that confidence 10 years ago. And the wisdom that comes with age. Or let's call it experience. I don;t realy think I am wise. :)
ReplyDelete