I Am So Excited

Excerpt from Daily Cures, Wisdom for Healthy Aging by Connie Mason Michaelis

I just watched the Today Show Special on “Ageless Beauty.”  What a great message they presented.  If you’ve not seen M∙A∙C Cosmetics’ newest model, you’re in for a treat.  Her name is Iris Apfel, and she is 98 plus years old!  In the interview, they asked if she thought women were tired of being represented by ridiculously young female models.  She said, “They ought to be; if they’re not, it is their own fault.”  Our culture is obsessed with youth.  We seem to have a love affair with perfection.  The world of advertising makes it seem that every woman should have flawless, wrinkle-free skin and an ideal body to match.  Beauty has become homogenized.  Surgeries, injections, and fillers offer the dream of eternal youth.  But is that what women really want?  Evidently not!

Madison Avenue has finally heard the demands of the fastest-growing segment of our population---people with wrinkles.  Meryl Streep (70) graced the cover of Vogue magazine as the oldest model in their history.  Hollywood recognizes it too; actresses like Jane Fonda (82), Diane Keaton (74), and Susan Sarandon (73) are hot items.  Iris said in her interview that real beauty is not about youth, but about confidence, courage, and wisdom.  Human beings are most alike in infancy.  As we mature, we take on unique characteristics and become true individuals.  Both internally and externally, we become one of a kind. I’ve had the privilege of meeting the most beautiful people in the world!  Talk about confidence and courage, recently one of my 85-year-old friends went sky diving!  I want to honor age and all that goes with it, including the wrinkles.  No one needs to lie about their age; we should brag about it! 

“And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!” Audrey Hepburn