There are a few white hairs scattering throughout my hair. I don't mind that either. There is nothing more beautiful than a healthy head of snow white hair. Of course, I don't want to rush it, but I don't think I'll try to cover it up, either.
My biggest desire about growing older is that I'll do it gracefully. Age in women is such a marvelous gift.
We move past the obsession of worrying about how we look all the time and what other people's opinion is about how we look. I still care about looking socially acceptable for whatever situation I am going to be in, but my priorities have changed. I hope to be somewhat stylish, but most of all I want to be clean, coordinated and comfortable. Gone are the days of three-inch heels, cinched waist and trying on 10 outfits before I go out the door.
Another thing I'm glad to see gone are the days of being afraid of confronting people who need to be confronted. Gone are the days of not sticking up for myself when someone is deliberately trying to take advantage of me.
I think 50s are wondrous years for women. Most women in this time of life can enjoy mothering adult children and look forward to grandchildren.
We know how to keep house, cook, clean, budget our time, chores and recreational time. We know how to prioritize. We get things done without thinking about it all the time or whining about it.
Most of us in our 50s are still pretty healthy. Even though our bodies may be reversing our reproductive years, it is a welcomed change. We still have plenty of energy to cover the tasks that life sets before us.
Women in their 50s have dreamed, failed and learned to make new dreams, more reachable dreams because life has taught us some things - like no matter how many times you might fall down, you can, you must, get up one more time.
By our 50s, most women have accepted that we are human and so is everyone else around us. We are not perfect, but neither is anyone else. We learn to accept the imperfections of others and stop being so hard on ourselves for not being perfect. We become more realistic and more forgiving of flaws.
In this decade, most women are not still trying to “find themselves.” For the most part, we are not waiting to be "discovered," and do not expect another human being to be responsible for our happiness. We know how to make the best of what we've got.
When life throws us a curve we aren't expecting, we might be confounded for a while, but we work through it and press on. By our 50s we realize that the days and years ahead are going to be what we make of them, and they pass too quickly to waste.
I think I've liked every decade of my life, although I've faced some very tough years along the way. When I turned 35, I do remember crying. I had the thought that my life was half over and very few of my dreams had come true.
So I made new ones or worked very hard to make those dreams a reality.
I still believe that my better days still lie ahead. I have so much to look forward to.
There are adventures to have, mountains to climb, journeys to take, God's purpose to pursue, people to meet and surprises along the way. I still believe God will throw me a few surprises before all is said and done. I still expect to surprise a few people who have counted me out or over the hill.
Another birthday just serves to remind me to make the most of every passing year.
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