Crossing over into ugly

This middle-aged man recently discovered an internet retirement discussion forum; a very active and loaded with sage counsel from those who are both retired and contemplating retirement.  Chances are most, but not all forum posters, are middle-aged.

The title of one topic discussion I recently viewed got my attention.  It was titled “How to Cope with Losing Your Looks?” so I decided to read a little more.

This is what the original poster had to say:

How have you coped with losing your looks (if you feel you have lost your looks)?

I had a couple of very rough years, and aged ten years in one year. When I see my photos, I think I look "ugly." 

I am not sure what to do about this, because I am not going to be getting more attractive with age.

How do you manage seeing less than flattering pictures of yourself as you age?

I just processed a bunch of pictures and actually said, "You are ugly."

I think I am seriously ugly now. I used to be attractive, so it is a little disturbing. I would be okay with just losing my looks, but crossing over into ugly is too much.

I can’t tell if this original poster was a man or woman but my guess is a woman.  I’m sure there are some middle-aged men out there harboring similar thoughts.

This discussion topic had several pages of comments – too many to read all of them – and one reply really resonated well with me; it was written by a 73-year young women who had this wise sage counsel to share:

Worried about how I look at this age (73)?  No, I am not, despite what a poster wrote that we who said no were in some kind of denial. 

As long as my eyes can see, my ears can hear, my brain works, my legs/feet can walk, my arms/hands work, and everything in between functions---- so much more important to me than cosmetic looks. 

It's a fairly new discovery for me. And I feel so good that I have finally realized what is important and what is not.

I don’t know about you but this middle-aged man, in a moment of total honesty, can profess that he isn’t the “pretty boy” he used to be so I can relate to what the original poster shared.  And in the same breath I can also relate to and appreciate the comments of the 73-year young poster.

So let’s all be inspired by her sage counsel and amazing perspective as we continue in our gracefully aging journey that, for some of us, may include what the original poster shared of “crossing over into ugly.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum