Not as young as I think...

I have really been struggling with the aging process lately. In my mind I feel much younger than I am. To my credit I do still look the age I feel. Maybe that is the secret! You look as old as you feel. Except my body reminds me on a regular basis that I am not as young as I think I am. I am in pretty good health so I feel good most days but I can sure feel when I have pushed myself. Also, the fact that I really need my sleep and can’t stay up as much as when I was younger, reminds me on a consistent basis. And then there are those ‘lines’ around my eyes that won’t go away anymore when I am done smiling or laughing. They sure don't make me laugh. And the fact that I am finding gray hairs lately brings me to tears. I am not ready to get old!



I also remember when I was little making fun of my parents when they would constantly fall asleep everytime they sat down to watch TV or a movie. Yeah, I am the one doing that now. I can barely make it through a movie these days unless I haven't seen it before. Pathetic!

There are positive reinforcements though. I still get carded when I go places. I went out with friends a couple weeks ago and everyone gets carded when they go in the door but when it came time to order, even though I was not ordering drinks, the waitress looked at me and said, ‘Did they check your ID when you came in the door?’ That made me feel good. And the fact that I continually (and somewhat delusionally) tell people I am 27 and they believe me is a good sign that I still have that youthful glow.



So what am I going to do about these signs of aging. I guess I could go along with them gracefully or I can fight them. I choose to fight as much as I can! I decided I am going back to my natural blonde so the gray doesn't show as much. I have invested in eye cream to help diminish those lines. I wear sunscreen on a consistent and daily basis (yes, even here in Oregon where the sun doesn't shine right now). I workout on a daily basis and include other sports into my routine just to feel younger than I am and I eat a healthy diet including those 'super foods' that are supposed to keep you younger. It also helps that I hang out with the 14-15 year old young women at church. I think all of these things will keep me youthful and looking younger than I really am. So take that time!