Getting Older...

Growing up, I remember a cartoon/poem my mom had on our refrigerator (she may still have it there). It goes as follows; My face in the mirror isn't wrinkled or drawn; My house isn't dirty, the cobwebs are gone. My garden looks lovely and so does my lawn; I think I might never put my glasses back on! I cannot find the author of this poem, and as a child, I thought it was silly... Now I'm older, and I find it to be true. For me it all started after turning 30. It was also after turning 30 I had my third child. That may have a little something to do with it. Getting older happens fast. I feel like I lose decades at a time, sometimes. Once your body goes through pregnancy and childbirth, things change. I also blame my children for the rate at which my hair is turning gray. Surely, that is all because of them. There are far more wrinkles on my face than there ever have been, especially around my eyes. I should chalk that up to years of smiling and laughter. The bags under my eyes have also grown, and are far more pronounced than they used to be. That is die to lack of sleep. Before kids, I slept like a rock, nothing woke me up. Now, the slightest noise and I'm wide awake. My hair is rapidly turning gray. It has gotten much worse the last couple of years. I am to the point I have to get it colored every three weeks, and that is pushing it. I'm not about to let those gray hairs show! Injuries have taken on a whole new level. I was never in the hospital. I had a few broken bones, but nothing major. After 30, I fell into a hole and had to have knee surgery. The Doctor told me I was old for having my meniscus stitched back together and repaired. I guess that was a compliment... I have always over exerted myself. If I want something done, I do it. I'm not very patient. I want it done now, so I do it. That has sometimes come back to bite me. Growing older is not all bad, of course. Even with my wrinkles, baggy eyes and gray hair, I think I look better now than I did in my teens and twenties. Maybe I am finally just comfortable and confident in myself. That also comes with age. There is something about life after 30, where you just kind of find yourself. You are ok with being you. You figure out what your hobbies and interests are, and you do them. By now, you have had friends come and go, many of them. The ones that went, left an impact. The ones that stayed, they have earned a special place in your heart. Yes, most days I prefer how I look without having my glasses on and or contacts in. Yes, my hair has taken on a whole new level of coarseness that comes with gray. No, I wouldn't go back to a younger age for anything. That being said, I would be happy to stay 36, just kidding. Things have improved with age. I am happier and more relaxed. I am fine with leaving the house in sweats and no makeup. My personality is what it is, and I'm comfortable with it. I am a mom, and in most all ways it shows. I like me, wrinkles and all. Just don't expect to see me with gray hair for at least another 30 years.