The Midlife Crisis

[Juniper]

Originally Posted by warch

I think 40-50s is profound because you really start to not know your physical self or are forced to relearn it-- those things that were so familiar...what you've always thought of yourself- your hair, the shape of your face, even your height, your strength, what you can and can't do--- is really morphing. You catch that glimpse of yourself or see a pic and think, dang! (I unsuccessfully attempted to execute a cartwheel earlier this summer...yikes! Luckily the grass was soft.)
Like other women I know, I look back pictures of me at 15, 25, 35 when I felt uncomfortable, fat or squatty or plain and think what a shame I didn't realize how perfectly fine I was at the time--- and I am working on realizing that right now, too, as I am learning the patterns of my face wrinkles!

Wow, isn't that the truth? I try to do things I used to be able to do and I'm shocked that I can't or that they're harder than they ought to be. Like those cartwheels. I still can do one, I think, but it's not pretty, and it hurts. Things I didn't think about keeping up with because I thought they'd always be there! Simple things, like bending over to weed the garden. Or, say, I want to paint my living room and I'm shocked at how hard it is to move the couch over a few feet.

Yet, I think I'm fairly active -- I do enough carting laundry up and down the stairs, that's for sure!

I catch my reflection in the mirror, or see a snapshot and think, "that can't be what I *really* look like!" OMG, when did I start looking so...so....solid? So middle-aged? I have wrinkles at the corners of my mouth now. So far, the eyes are unlined, but my chin! I have wrinkles on my chin, of all places!

But there are also improvements that can take place. Really. For example, I think as we age, most of us start paying more attention to our health and for a while actually end up feeling better and stronger than we did. For example, I quit smoking about 6 years ago and noticed an immediate improvement climbing hills and stairs. Last year I found out I have a problem with high blood pressure, started taking meds for it, and after I got used to them, I felt more energetic and had fewer headaches.

And there are certain other changes that happen to women 'round about that 40 year mark... Certain activities seem to be more interesting than they were a few years before, when we were focused on child rearing and avoiding Mr. Gropey, if you know what I mean.

See? Look for the silver lining.

Oh, and by the way...never give up, or give in.

My father in law is 78. He runs a mile every other day, drives a sporty little Mazda and has a girlfriend 15 years younger. The ladies at the "spa" where he works out call him "Love Machine." What an inspiration!