Agelessness

Some people try to act and look younger than they are by wearing trendy clothes such as big bows in their hair or leggings and a shirt that doesn't quite cover their posterior end - and frankly sometimes the trendy styles can make us look older (okay, I finally had to give up my low-slung jeans because I have a "slight" belt overhang - bit embarrassing).

And then there are those who act older than they are complaining about aches and pains and how old they are when they are only 40 for Pete's sake (eh hem, don't look over here, I can embrace that I'm over 30 - but that's all, don't ask for any older okay?).

Why can't people just accept themselves for the age that they are today? It seems that life always looks sweeter before or after our current age.

As we live in a world filled with social conscienceness, intoxicated by the issues of age and beauty, we all know society is more accepting of the younger generation. They are, by the way, the generation we see graced on billboards and in magazines wearing bikinis and glamorous clothes with the flawless skin and skinny legs. The older generation that we see are wearing blazers and button up shirts and talking politics.

A friend of mine gave me about five magazines to peruse since she had already finished thumbing through the pages. Just reading the cover titles screamed of anti-aging! Some cover headlines read, "Look Younger Now!" "Smoother skin, fewer lines, anti-aging vitamins," "Tone every bulge," "Anti-aging secrets nobody tells you." It is all the big topic on how to fool the public on your REAL age.

We also see all those 40+ year old celebraties that look amazingly young and we think if they can do it why can't we? We forget they make a lot more money than we do and can afford the creams, and in-house yoga classes, and Whole Foods super markets. They also seem to have more time between filming to exercise. In addition to all that they also have a stylist for goodness sake (and someone cleaning their house I'm sure).

How much effort should we really take to achieve "agelessness?"

To keep our weight off we have to exercise double the time in the gym than our twenty-year-old counterparts. We also have to eliminate bread, red meat, sodas, and all the sweets from our diet to keep the inches off our waist. To keep our smooth skin and subtle lines we need to do a six-step process every morning and every night - taking up precious sleep time. We also have to keep updated on fashion by scouring those magazines with those young skinny girls in it making us completely depressed and frustrated with how we look ourselves.

Striving for an "ageless" look is a full-time job! But what about our money-making "real" full-time job, our husband, and two kids? What about soccer practice and soccer games, drama classes and play practice, how about homework, playdates, and youth group? What about our husband's schedule, working late nights or going out of town, or just having date nights? What about the book to write or read, coffee with girlfriends, volunteering at church, cleaning our house, or running our dog? What about life? How can we exercise, eat right, buy expensive product, and stay in fashion all the same time?

We can't do it all! What is your idea of "agelessness" and how far will you go to achieve it? Of the four means of achieving this younger look, which is the most important to you?

So if you want instant youthfulness without all the hassle, just pull out your scissors and snip some bangs. But then again, some beauty comes with, well let me try to say this gently, age.

We can't forget to live life - if we forget that, what is the purpose of looking "ageless" anyway?