We asked women over 50 to tell us what younger women should know about aging – things you don’t usually talk about during girls’ night out. We haven’t used any names, because some comments got a little personal – and that’s exactly what we had hoped.
Your knees may start to make a crackling sound when you move. Mine do every time I walk down stairs. The first time it happened I looked around to see what was making that noise.
Don’t pass up an opportunity to use the bathroom. You won’t have a super bladder anymore.
Age spots just appear one day, and there really isn’t a foundation that will cover them completely.
You become less patient as you age, and you really don’t have time for stupidity or incompetence. I think that’s why young people think older people are grouchy.
We aren’t grouchy, we’re just tired of all the stupidity.
My skin was always dry, but usually just in winter. Now it’s dry all year. I’ve made moisturizing a part of my daily routine. And I exfoliate. I had to learn how to do that.
Everyone experiences menopause differently. Some women have buckets of sweat dripping from them because of a hot flash, and some women never get them. Some women have severe mood swings, and some don’t. Your doctor won’t be able to tell you what category you fall into, so good luck.
Expect to be shocked when you realize you actually are aging. At a recent doctor’s appointment, I was told my issue is common in middle-aged women. When the heck did I become middle-aged? At 43, I ran my first 10K. Don’t let your age define who you are. I’m not.
The loneliness can sometimes be unbearable.
At some point in time you realize you remember your mother when she was younger than you are now. And then you say, “Wow, I took better care of myself, because I look better at an older age than she did.”
Watching your parents and all of their friends slowly pass away is truly difficult.
All of a sudden, you don’t hear as well as you once did. You don’t see as well as you once did. It’s not fun. Attitude is everything. It’s easy to get depressed, but come up with things to do so you don’t. Make friends. Go places. Sometimes I go for a walk by myself just to get out of the house. Sunshine and fresh air can do a lot of good.
I sneeze, I pee. That never happened to me before.
You will visit the doctors more often. It really is awful, because you always have to wait and wait. I try to remind myself that some people don’t have access to good healthcare.
Your memory won’t be as good as it once was. So learn to compensate. I’m really good at making lists.
It becomes harder and harder to lose weight, even if you’re doing all the right things. I made peace with the notion of seeing a cosmetic surgeon. There are so many things they can do to help. You don’t have to look like those celebrities whose faces look like wax. You can actually look normal – only better.
Grandchildren are the highlight of aging. I’m so happy my husband is retired and can enjoy them. He worked long hours when our children were growing up. Now he can just be there with his grandchildren.
You will wake up in the middle of the night and have to use the bathroom. Sometimes more than once.
I wish I had lifted weights when I was younger. It helps with osteoporosis.
A lot of my friends separated and/or divorced soon after their last child left for college. I wasn’t expecting that. When your good friends divorce, you lose good friends. It’s very difficult to start relationships with two new couples (when half of those couples used to be married to each other).
