Mid 2006, I broke up with the boyfriend that took me to Seattle -- here in 2005 at age 45...he was a techie, hence the Microsoft -- and grew the "do" out one more time. Sometime soon next decade, I'm going short again and hopefully by 60 I'll be all white. My highlights, now, are natural -- pure white. Will I be ready to embrace my whiteness by then?
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"Papa's Birthday Baby." That would be me. Born on the same day, 49 years ago, as Papa, my now recently departed mother's sweet father, also departed from this realm.
As I merged into my 40s, a smart-looking woman, mother of four older teens, was my hairdresser. We'd have these mini little debates about aging. I claimed it was not a bad thing. Perhaps, her being in the beauty industry, she always shook her head and could not agree with me. I am glad that I never went down that societal expected slope that Getting Older means Going Down Hill. I didn't believe it then. I don't believe it now.
Those who've crossed the threshold before me are right. I grow more assured. More into my own skin. So maybe that's why, since age 44, I look into the mirror each decade and see that I am a year older, sigh and then shrug my shoulders. Now the realizations seem to come twice a year, maybe more often. Yesterday, I pulled on a pair of long cotton shorts, a long-sleeve knit tee and my pair of hot pink Mephisto's. I thought I looked fresh. My hair wet, my skin clean, my natural eye color du jour a blue that peered back at me from the bathroom vanity's mirror. And then I looked into the full-length mirror before leaving my bedroom and pronounced my reflection as looking definitely "middle-aged." Sigh.
So, yeah, I do have my own skirmishes with my own inner societal-influenced critic. But then I know that Papa's Birthday Baby -- the youngest grandchild from his brood of eight -- is about The Girl Within. That's who's endured. And that's who'll last through the next half of her to-be-well-lived-century. By Golly. We'll just make the best of the outer and try not to look too "middle-aged" in the meantime.
And yeah, this post is totally blog vanity...as if the medium weren't enough already. Sorry. It's My Birthday.
Making the best of the outer....Me at 46 working on a Habitat for Humanity Home for a man with autism and intellectual disAbility.
Happy Birthday, hope it was great! I just celebrated #46 today. Thanks for your comments on my blog!
Posted by: L Adams | June 11, 2009 at 09:48 PM
Happy Birthday! If you're what the cusp of 50 looks like ... whew!
Bill
Posted by: Bill Bangham | June 10, 2009 at 09:25 PM
A very Happy Birthday to you! And may God grant you many years! (It's a blessing as opposed to the "curse" I've heard before.) I'm with you, I really like getting older and for basically what you site here: I feel more "myself" the unique person that God created me to be. I've still got a lot that He can work with, but by His Grace ;0) it's getting done. You're doing great! Keep it up!
Posted by: Margie | June 10, 2009 at 06:12 PM