Harriet Beecher Stowe and Turquoise Sneakers

"So much has been said and sung of beautiful young girls, why don't somebody wake up to the beauty of old women?"

I love this quote - particularly on this eve of my 54th birthday (the "day before the eve" in the States). If you live with a leg in one country and a couple of toes in another - does that mean you can celebrate your birthday twice - one day after the other?

I like Ms. Stowe's quote because she indicates a beauty that can be found in all ages. I might be beauty-challenged as I grow older, but there is freedom in not caring so much anymore. After fifty, you get to sign a release form that frees you from all the silly inhibitions of chronological youth. For example, I just bought some turquoise sneakers, and they are sooooo cool. I pair these shoes with pink and blue and yellow polka dot socks. If I had a purple hat, I'd wear it too. And best of all, I don't care what people think of me. Or, if they think I'm eccentric - all the better!


When you look out at the world, do you feel your age? Most of the people I've discussed this with lately don't at all. They still feel like a younger version of themselves - I know I do. When I talk to people, I expect them to feel like they are talking to someone in their thirties. Only when accosted with a mirror does that feeling slide away, and the dreaded "age reality" strikes. Personally, I find mirrors a lot less important than I used to.

Another idea is that everyone is a mixture of many or all ages. Now, my good friends can tell you that is especially true for me (but I'm a special case). I really do have kids inside of me. But who out there can say they don't feel or act like a kid sometimes? If you're healthy, you will keep your inner kid active; and if you're not, then you better run out and buy some crayons - quick - because you're missing out. One of Tim's best features is that he can be a total kid sometimes.

I was talking to my good friend, Vicky, the other day (she lives in Tucson, Arizona USA) who is a couple of years older than I am. We have shared a lot of LIFE together. She mentioned that she doesn't feel the highs and lows of her younger years.... I.e., the DRAMA is gone. I agree! My life was a carousel (sappy metaphor!) for many years. I must have pumped enough adrenaline for thirty people. (Come to think of it, that's probably true, but make it sixty.) There's a peacefulness that comes from passing 50.

By the way: When it's your birthday you get to chat on about whatever comes to mind. When you have a blog you get to publish it. When you're the reader of the blog - you get to ignore it!

Parting thought:
"Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts." ~Martin Buxbaum

Cheers! Judi