The Full Package

Must we women go months, if not years, wondering if we’re the only ones witnessing the chaos on our bodies? We waste countless hours agonizing about the stray man-hairs because no one warned us it was coming. Why aren’t mature women sharing this knowledge from generation to generation, helping to mentally prepare the youthful hotties for what’s to come?

If I could go back in time, I’d tell that young grasshopper a thing or two about what’s coming. I’d say, Your body will age and at times it will feel like it is fighting you and betraying you. It’s not an easy thing to watch. But remember that same body is wondrous and beautiful. It can stretch and make tiny humans, it can fight off cancers, and it can mend hearts that have been broken.

The wrinkles and scars of a life well lived are not things to be ashamed of, and you don’t have to hide them. Although, you don’t have to feel guilty about trying to hide them. Goodness knows I am not going gently into that good night and am actively fighting these wrinkles every step of the way. But please know you are not less of a woman or less beautiful because you no longer look eighteen.

When I was in my forties, I formed a theory about why our level of hotness starts to fade as we get older: We are like packages. When we’re young, we need to sell it with a gorgeous wrapper because there’s not so much on the inside.

But now, in my early fifties, I realize I was wrong on two accounts. First, young Dawn, you did already have so much inside you. And I don’t just mean your legendary metabolism. Second, yes, what’s inside our older selves is so good—we’ve cultivated some stunning inner beauty by now—but, on top of that, we finally get that what’s on the outside doesn’t determine our identity and value. It’s not crucial to our sense of self. And boy, is there a lot of freedom in that.

Lord, I thank you for every inch of the body you gave me. Help me embrace who you made me and who I’ve become, inside and out.

Was this plan helpful? We adapted this plan from Midlife Battle Cry: Redefining the Mighty Second Half by Dawn Barton. Check it out for more!