I’m loving this journey so far. Join me for this week’s insights, lessons, and laughter!
DAY 20: Aging is beautiful.
Aging is beautiful. That’s contrary to what our society teaches nowadays. As celebrity Francis McDormand recently shared:
“[In our society,] there’s no desire to be an adult. Adulthood is not a goal. It’s not seen as a gift. Something happened culturally: No one is supposed to age past 45 — sartorially, cosmetically, attitudinally. Everybody dresses like a teenager. Everybody dyes their hair. Everybody is concerned about a smooth face.” [http://www.businessinsider.com/frances-mcdormand-on-aging-2015-7]
As I draw closer to 50, I find myself relishing the life experiences I’ve experienced, endured, and enjoyed. I think of the regular life milestones—attending and finishing college (walking across the stage to get my diploma to shout of my husband and my toddler son); living in Hawaii, Taiwan, and Japan; working for the FDA, for Brigham Young University, learning medical transcription, and running my own preschool; and running a 10K and swearing never to do it again.
And then the core life milestones—marrying Dave over twenty years ago; bearing and raising seven amazing children including one with Asberger’s Syndrome (and having two miscarriages); writing 14 books; speaking at Education Week and other community, business, and national events.
And then the indefinable but life-changing milestones—the bone-deep trials and triumphs of married and family life; children receiving gospel covenants and ordinances and learning to love the Lord; dear friends and their indefinable but incredible influence and love; countless acts of service received and given that have been unexpected gifts over many years; memorable moments of awareness, gratitude, and understanding that have developed my character and perspective.
All of these milestones are written on my face and body. My wrinkles and laugh lines are my history. My birth marks and child-inflicted scars are my timelines.
That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good wrinkle cream to smooth the storytelling! Or that I don’t enjoy finding great health and beauty tips (like I’ll be sharing during my journey, starting this week!) Or that I don’t appreciate surgeries to alleviate dysfunction or deal with tragic event aftereffects. But as far as optional goes, no superficially smooth face for me, thank you. At some juncture I will need to resolve a genetically-disposed droopy eyelid issue and I’m honestly terrified—I don’t want to unnaturally change who I am or what I look like. I reverence that my body is a living history of who I am and am becoming.
And in meeting others, I delight in exploring a person’s face, the story it tells, the outward composite of the inner tree rings of life and living, as it were. When I talk with someone, I want ripe character not frozen clearness.
Today, I hope you’ll celebrate the beauty of your physical story. That you won’t stress about age or wrinkles or body parts shifting in awkward ways. That you’ll feel more settled in your beautiful, fabulous skin, and celebrate that you’re alive, and LIVING your story!
Happy Journey!
Connie
#50daysto50 #back2basics
*Missed the other days? Enjoy them on my FB “50 Days to 50 Journey!” www.facebook.com/8basics
DAY 15: Are you Missing Hidden Opportunities?
Opportunities, I’m finding, often come to us in hidden ways. I remember a church leader saying something like, when we are too focused on looking for the miraculous in our lives, we will miss the everyday outpouring of good…
DAY 16: Make a Move
After the women’s retreat experience that I shared with you a few days ago, I wrote down a few things that I felt strongly to do. But later, the idea of doing any of them made me feel overwhelmed, self-doubting, and worried. But then I asked myself, why did those negative feelings surface when just a few hours before I had felt compelled and motivated to do good?…
