Aging; I’m Not Going Down Without a Fight

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The Inevitable

Aging. It’s unavoidable. It creeps up on us at the most inopportune times. One morning you wake up and, BOOM! Wrinkles. Little saggy lines and bags appear where the skin was once firm and glowingly radiant. Your bones start to ache and you aren’t quite as flexible as you remember. Getting out of the bathtub isn’t as easy as it once was and in my opinion, could definitely qualify as an Olympic sport. Areas of my body are starting to head south, literally. Grey hairs are sprouting up here and there and I’m finding myself needing to visit my hairstylist more frequently. What the hell is happening to me? Aging. It’s stalking me and has been for quite some time now. I will not let this get the best of me, and I am determined to confront it with grace and dignity. I am not going to go down without a fight!

Accountability

I recently decided that it is time to make some serious changes in my life. Holding myself accountable to live a healthy lifestyle is something that is currently a work in progress. I have 3 children. Two of my boys have significant special needs and are completely dependent and need constant care. It is important that I maintain a healthy lifestyle so that I can be at my very best for them. The past few years, my health and eating habits have been something that I am not particularly proud. I have needed to drop 45lbs to be in a healthy weight range as well as change my eating habits. I started working out with a personal trainer last month and have been on a 1200 calorie-a-day eating plan. It hasn’t been easy and there have been days when I have fallen short of my goals, but I am slowly and steadily making progress. I am excited for the day when I can wear a dress without Spanx. Because let’s be honest, they are super uncomfortable and nobody wants to feel like a can of Pillsbury rolls about to pop! Things only get more challenging with age, so I need to make these changes now. There may be days when I may pee a little doing jumping jacks or barely make it off the toilet after a grueling leg day, but I am getting stronger and I am not going down without a fight!

Perspective

I often get teased about my outlook on aging. I joke that by the time I am seventy, you won’t be able to tell what emotion I am expressing due to the immense amount of work I will have had done (Okay, that is probably a bit extreme). My theory is this; do what makes you happy!! The thing about aging is that we view it as a detriment, and it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s the next phase, and those lines- they mean something! With that said, I have no issues with nipping, tucking, filling, or enhancing any part of my body as I see fit. Proudly, I will color my hair, whiten my teeth, fill my wrinkles, and wear as much makeup as I want. I will offer no apologies as to how I choose to maintain and carry myself during the aging process, and you shouldn’t either.

My inspiration for aging gracefully is my Grandmother. She passed away 3 weeks ago at the young age of 93. Age was always just a number with her. She defied so many stereotypes of aging. She was always upbeat, healthy and active. Grandma was a spitfire, she was strong-willed and she lived independently until the day she took her last breath. She never ever let her age define her. It is my hope that I am blessed with her good health and lasting independence because, like her, I am not going to let age define me. I am not going down without a fight!

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Megan Gilbert-Dahl
Megan was born and raised in Northwest Indiana where she currently resides with her husband Russell and 3 spirited boys; Reece (16), Mason (9), and Charlie (1). She graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor's in Nursing from Purdue University Northwest. After dedicating 5 amazing years to Maternal/Child Nursing, Megan decided to leave bedside nursing to work inside the home as a SAHM. When not up to her elbows in diapers, Megan enjoys music, fashion, and interior design. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her 3 sisters/best friends. You can soon follow Megan's adventures in her upcoming blog "Learning to Have Patients."