August 27, 2010

Aging Gracefully by Being Herself


This week’s Beauty of the Week is Sandy Marcy who is 67 years old.  Sandy is a nurse practitioner and said that it took her sixty years to figure out that this occupation is her gift in life, but “is happy that she at least finally caught on!”

Sandy’s daughter is Aldra, who writes one of my favorite blogs Consciously Frugal. Aldra describes her mom as “fierce and tenacious, traits not really valued by society in women of my mother's generation. And she manages to balance it with this huge, generous heart. Watching her over the years has taught me that I am bound by nothing. I get to choose the course of my life. I don't think enough women hear that message from our mothers. The best advice she's ever given me is, "Just keep being yourself. It's the only thing that'll ever work." We're so often taught to hide who we are or to diminish ourselves. My mama encourages me to let my freak flag fly. I think that's the greatest gift a parent can give a kid- space to be who they are and to celebrate them in all their glorious strangeness. My mom is really the embodiment and celebration of an authentic, passionate life. Which is pretty fabulous.”

 Sandy has this to share about aging:
  •  I have no wonderful words of wisdom or how to age with grace.  I have spent most of my time kicking and screaming my way through life.
  •  It took a lot of hard knocks before I realized I had to get out of my way and live my life with what I have been given which is a pleasant, even sweet personality, a love of my fellow man, and concern for their well being. 
  •  I do think people are part of everything on this earth and the universe.  I would love to put my arms around the earth and hug it.  I didn't think that when I was young and full of energy.  
  • I am sort of a pretty woman that has not let the look go away.  In my work, people seem to trust a nice looking face more.  That is sad to say but it is true.  Of course, being nice never seems to be out of fashion.
  •  At 67 I have morphed into someone that I thought I would never be-a super animal lover.  I think it is an old lady thing.  So far, I have nine rescue cats that I adore.  I have developed a love of animals and all things of this earth.
  • Age is just age.  I've had young girls tell me I am a "cool old lady."  Best compliment I have ever received. Cool is cool no matter how old one gets!

Thank you cool old lady for your great thoughts :-)