The Blessings of Being a Woman of a Certain Age

 


        All of my life, I've heard variations of  'don't get old' from people I knew. In my opinion, the alternative is not better. Those of you who have been reading this column know that I see growing older as a gift. 

        Until lately, I haven't really thought about just how nice it is to be a woman of a certain age. Today, I'd like to list a few blessings,in my opinion, of being an older woman. 

        The first is that I don't worry about my outfits matching. Yesterday, when I went to visit my dad, I wore a pink cardigan sweater, a white t- shirt and tan cotton pants. I wore a pink canvas bucket hat that I like. The pink hat didn't match the sweater and I didn't care. I was comfortable and the hat kept the rain off my head. It framed my face in a way that I like. Now, it's not that I go around wearing colours that clash badly. I just don't care if things are a perfect match in an outfit anymore.    

        I also find that being comfortable is becoming more of a priority. I'm not dressing to impress or trying to be fashionable. I just want to look neat and be comfortable. I never realised how freeing it is to not care about what other people may think of my wardrobe. I wear things that I feel good in. 

        Another blessing of being older, (there, I said it.) is that I actually no longer care what other people think of me. A few years ago I saw something thing that said, "What other people think of you is none of your business." That's become one of my mottos. To me, it's pointless to concern myself with something I have no control over. There are better uses for my energy and brain space. 

        One of my favourite quotes from the movie 'Moonstruck' is  "I can't invite you in because I'm married. Because I know who I am." That is another blessing. Once you get to a certain age, you have a pretty good idea of who you are. It's kind of a comforting feeling. 

        I like that I'm more willing to try new things. A few weeks ago, I made a pizza crust from scratch using yeast which I've never done before.  It turned out pretty well. Now I want to try making other things with yeast like naan and challah. The best part about it is that if things don't turn out perfectly, I can see it as a learning experience. When I was younger, I always when very frustrated when something I was doing didn't turn out perfectly the first time. 

        Some may think their best years are behind them. I don't agree. I think my best years are ahead.

        

        


        

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