When did the skin I had worn most of my life suddenly doesn"t fit anymore

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Have you ever looked in the mirror and wonder who that is? My skin used to fit quite snuggly, Well now it just doesn"t snap back anymore,As a matter of fact it just hangs there,Like under my chin. Its disconcerting when people stare at my neck and think about thanksgiving.And if thats not bad enough how about under the arms, I have a nice swag look,I raise a arm and If a strong wind kicks up,I could be flapping for hours. Just some thoughts God Bless Irene

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), January 20, 2002

Answers

Irene, have you thought of trying to sell this skill to the military?!! P.S., If I ever loose weight I could sell to burn clinics.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 20, 2002.

Having arrived at 47 to discover that my hormones seem to have abandoned me, my ability to control my weight has flown the coop, and my red hair is fading to grey at the edges, I completely understand.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), January 20, 2002.

Yep, I know what you mean, Irene. At 44, there is NOTHING on my body that can be labeled as "perky". My mom used to say that she went overnight from at 36C to a 42 long! LOL!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), January 20, 2002.

ROTFL! A friend of mine from church who is about 15 years older than I, says when I get to be her age I'll find out that instead of putting my makeup on in the morning, I'll have to put my "face" on.

Rose, I am the same age as you, and fighting the same battles. Except my hair isn't totally red, just brunette with red tones....along with the grey.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), January 20, 2002.


When I turned 45, I looked in the mirror and saw my MOTHER..I ran screaming from the room, not because Mom is an ugly gal, but because, well, I looked OLD. When I turned 50, I looked in the mirror and said, HA HA HA, look how far you've come, my friend! In another two months I shall be 54 and who cares?????? I love my greying hair and each tiny crow's foot wrinkle around my eyes was given to me through laughter. The weird brown spots showing up these days on my face and hands are there to remind me of those wonderful afternoons walking my babies in the sunshine.....sure my derriere is a tad wider than it used to be..all the better to be more comfortable in that rocking chair for cradling those grandchildren. Growing older need not be a terrible thing at all.....your body gently gives a history of where you have been and how blessed you were to get to that wonderful age! So give yourself a hug or two or three and rejoice in your wisdom..would you ever TRULY wish to be 20 again? God bless.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 20, 2002.


Well, Lesley, if you want an honest answer, YES! (Just kidding)

Actually, if I could still look like I did at 20, or even 40, and still know what I know now, I'd be happy. But would I give up what I've learned over the years to have my youth back? NO WAY I do wish I had my health back, but that doesn't have much to do with aging, just horse and car wrecks.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), January 20, 2002.


I had cataracts and had to have surgery 6 years ago. Boy oh boy, after I had the first eye done and looked in the mirror I was SHOCKED, to say the least, at how old I'd gotten. Where and when did all those wrinkles happen??? It was ok though because when I told my husband about it he said I'd earned each and every one with taking caring of and worrying about he and the kids and he loved them......liar!!! LOL

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), January 20, 2002.

The last time I renewed my drivers lic. & they took my picture---- I looked at it & I swore they had mixed mine up with my older sister-- --- I thought my gosh we do look alike----- And I always thought SHE looked OLD!!! ha!!

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), January 20, 2002.

Look, ladies and gentlemen, we have a choice about this. We can grow old, or not. Of course, if we don't, we die young. I'd rather get old and grey! Anyway, what's the problem...how often do you have to look at yourself anyway? If you do that a lot, my first recommendation would be to give a bunch of those mirrors to your children or grandchildren! What you don't see, can't hurt you (or shock you, as the case may be!)

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), January 20, 2002.

Hi Sheryl, sounds good up to a point BUT my hair isn't the prettiest in the crowd anyway and if I couldn't look in a mirror to fix it before going to town the natives would run :) Otherwise you're right, getting to this age has been a journey and I'm still on that journey, not ready for it to end. I've accepted the wrinkles, sagging skin under my chin, gray hair, flappy arms, etc. etc. as part of the process but I really don't have to love them, do I????? :)

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), January 20, 2002.


Aging is not for the timid.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), January 21, 2002.

Well, at age 49 at least I still have not one gray hair and every hair on my head is my natural blonde...it says so right on the package!

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), January 21, 2002.

Love this thread!! I laugh out loud when I look at myself long enough in the mirror. I think a good sense of the ridiculous is very much needed to age gracefully. Although there is NOTHING graceful about wattles and as my kids call them "wing flaps" (upper arms). I have earned every one of those wrinkles and grey hairs, and I wear them as medals of valor. Life is a battle and a march. Lynelle

-- Lynelle (x2ldp@aol.com), January 21, 2002.

Lol, Irene, your description is hilarious.

At 49, my hair is very creative/bored. Instead of gray it's going right to white. Actually I like it.

This reminds me again of Pearl, she died at 89 and didn't ave room for any more wrinkles, one of the most wondeful eople that ever lived. She told me about her sister who died at age 43, she prayed that she would never have wrinkles, guess she got what she wanted.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 21, 2002.


Anna, I also have to do something with my hair first thing in the morning. Naturally curly hair does NOT look anything like that the movie stars have when they first wake up. sigh

My granddaughter also has naturally curly hair and when I picked her up yesterday, her hair was a disaster. I asked my daughter what on earth happened? Daughter explained that she had washed Becca's hair right before she put her to bed the night before. Ack! No wonder the kid looked bad, washing natually curly hair just before bedtime should be considered child abuse.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), January 21, 2002.



Okay, I only have one complaint (for the moment), and it doesn't actually have to do with aging, per se, but...stretch marks! ('nuff said!)

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 21, 2002.

I figure I earned every gray hair on my head and I may as well enjoy them, lol. The real shocker to me is that I don't feel old (most days anyway). I always thought that as I aged I would age in my mind too, but it hasn't happened like that. Of course, my memory is certainly not what it once was, but I think that has more to do with multiple pregnancies!

-- Deena in GA (dsmj55@aol.com), January 21, 2002.

Aging has never bothered me and I am not vain. I have a sister who is very worried about looking older too and she is 10 years younger than I am. However, in 2 months I will turn 60 and that has come as a shock to me! How did I get here so fast???? My husband is 5 years younger than me so I have to take care of myself! When I was younger people always told me I looked younger than I was. No one tells me that anymore! How I wish they would!!!! Yes two months from now is going to be a little rough but I keep thinking about all those senior citizen discounts I'll get and remind myself of the alternative and be thankful the Lord has let me live this long!

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), January 21, 2002.

Oh, Irene, I know just what you mean! I wouldn't want to BE young again, just take away a few of these darn sags and wrinkles! A few years ago, daughter in law was looking at some photographs and asked me who the "old woman in the green dress" was--guess who? Sure took the wind out of my sails! Ah well, better to get old than be feet up in the pasture, I always say. As long as we can get around and do what we need to do, I suppose it will be ok! Jan-53 in Colorado

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), January 21, 2002.

Bette davis was quoted as saying, "Old age ain't for sissies"...I LOVE that! Growing up around my mother was so hard for both of us..Mother was so concerned every single DAY about her hair and her face and her clothing, etc..I was busy climbing trees and playing street hockey and hand ball and swimming.....she and I had the most awful arguments when I was a teen..she wanted me to pluck my eyebrows and style my hair like Katherine Hepburn..I wanted to look like "Michele" in the Mamas and the Papas singing group.....so was I surprised when last year at the age of 74, mother got a facelift and a tummy tuck???? She will not show my pictures I sent her to anyone because she tells me it is so embarrassing to her to see her only daughter "dressed like a farm wife and living in the woods of Alabama"....hee hee hee....mom just is NOT aging gracefully at all. I think folks..men and women...should have a healthy sense of looking their best, but some folks get truly carried away! I sure never want to look like those older women who are in their 60s trying to look like they are still 30 something..funny in one way, but sort of pathetic in another.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 21, 2002.

guess we should be careful what we wish for. personally i'm just glad that the good lord has given me good health along with the gray hair and wrinkles. at 64 i feel my wrinkles are a story of how i lived my life and so far i'm pleased. blessings, sally

-- (mallardhen67@hotmail.com), January 23, 2002.

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