I am coming to the certainties that I just might, maybe, getting not older, but old. I’m never “Peggy” anymore but “Miss Peggy”. People see me going to a door and jump ahead to open the door and say, “ma’am”. I begin to rise from a sitting position and there are hands to give me a helpful pull. I walk up to a check-out line, and I’m greeted with, “Oh you go ahead ma’am.” Sometimes I need to walk with my “stick” because of my broken leg but I’m afraid I might swing the thing at some of the helpful youngsters in one of my “feel sorry for my age” days.
I remember in the early years of our marriage, I had not a wrinkle, dark spot, wart, or protuberance on my silky-smooth skin, and I wore very little make-up as I had that ‘young glow’ complexion and aura. My hair was thick and full, eyelashes long, and my eyes were a clear hazel.
Now turn to clock forward for #%&% years, (not allowed to divulge my age), and here’s the difference. I have eye crinkles around the hazy hazel eyes, a scar or several where warts, etc. have been removed, no young glow unless with cosmetic dye, enhanced eyelashes, and long blonde hair with my hairdresser’s help. Yes, I can still fake young to some degree.
But to tell you the truth, I do find it very comical and humorous at some of the ways I have seen other aging women try to wage war against the inevitable and unescapable tale of times.
I saw a well-known actress on late show not too long ago and she could barely talk with her pouting fish lips. How does she eat? There are Botox treatments to erase lines, but some seem to leave paralysis of the area as to where you look like a Halloween face, unable to move parts of the face. Same woman, same late show and her Botox face made her talk like a ventriloquist. And…can you believe I saw where one woman was suing a Botox company for her injections into her “hinny”? She had nice protruding rounded buttocks, but she had so much “luggage” she had trouble walking, sitting, or standing!
Oh Ladies, let’s be proud of our earned niceties of Ma’am, being aided in our small actions and undertakings, our laugh lines show we are happy, our thinner lips have kissed many grandchildren, our hazy eyes have stared at some of the most beautiful occurrences, objects, and fascinations ever imagined. Embrace your aging like you embrace the love of spouses and family, with anticipated JOY!
I wish I had a recipe to give you, a potion to help you stay young, I don’t so I will give you one of my favorite ideas and cake recipes.
If you are like us, feeding and preparing for only two, sometimes a whole cake is just too much. So, I often do this.
½ box of yellow cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of oil, t. vanilla extract, 1 T. cinnamon, ½ cup of buttermilk, 1 can of apple pie filling
Mix cake with all ingredients except cinnamon and apple pie filling. Pour apples into the bottom of a 13x9 pan and sprinkle on cinnamon. Pour cake mix over top and bake 350* for 45 minute
