Sigourney Weaver once said, “When you’re young, there’s so much that you can’t take it in. It’s pouring over you like a waterfall. When you’re older, it’s less intense, but you’re able to reach out and drink it. I love being older.”  I totally agree!

All the articles I’ve read on aging are about being happy because you’re wiser and more mellow. What the f*** are they talking about? I’m 100% certain I know less now than I did in my 20’s and it’s not a memory issue! It’s because I can see so much more out there to learn!

For some reason, our society is obsessed with pointing out negative aspects of aging and how to ignore it. “Just be happy about the inevitable.” That’s f***ing stupid. My mom never got to be “old.” She was gone at 59. My dad did and he hated it. I want to relish every moment of my experience here. I want to look at this a different way.

Aging brings survivorship. It brings grit. It’s finally a time when a dose of healthy denial is completely acceptable! The people I know who are the happiest aren’t thinking that much about getting older. They’re not really focusing on what’s not working anymore. They don’t look in the mirror and see wrinkles. They see themselves.

Every year should be teaching us something valuable. Whether we get the lesson is really up to us. I want that new lesson each year.

There’s a saying I remember hearing from my grandmother — you look on the outside what you are on the inside. So, if you’re someone who never smiles your face will get saggy. If you’re a person who smiles a lot, you’ll have more smile lines. 🙂

I think our wrinkles reflect the roads we’ve taken. They are the map of our lives. It’s life changing to be around happy people who are comfortable inside. You can just feel their joy for life by standing next to them.

So, let’s judge our looks and our lives based on what’s on the inside – not what we look like on the outside. Each year, I’m a better person on the inside than I was the last year. And, I believe my outside reflects who I am on the inside. 🙂 Don’t you? I think I’ll carry that theme for my forever.

XOXO

Jessica