Aging gracefully…

That’s a head-scratcher for me.

Beauty articles, skincare marketing, 50+ sites, health blogs, how-tos, fashion mags. Why does everyone want us to age with grace?

When I think of grace, ballet dancers come to mind. Also videos of falling cats landing in slow motion. A lithe, elegant actor like Audrey Hepburn personifies grace, but aging?

I got this from Wikipedia.

“Gracefulness, or being graceful, is the physical characteristic of displaying “pretty agility”, in the form of elegant movement, poise, or balance. The etymological root of grace is the Latin word gratia from gratus, meaning pleasing. Gracefulness has been described by reference to its being aesthetically pleasing. For example, Edmund Burke wrote: (dude was an Irish statesman from the 1700’s so I don’t know if his definition is relevant, but I’m going for it.)

Gracefulness is an idea not very different from beauty; it consists of much the same things. Gracefulness is an idea belonging to posture and motion. In both of these, to be graceful, it is requisite that there be no appearance of difficulty…”

Key word “appearance”.

There are challenges when aging, but let’s not appear to have any difficulty. It’s no surprise the term is associated with beauty, cosmetics, and skincare.

Question for the aging gracefully practitioners…

What’s graceful about low bone density or thinning hair? Has a friend ever told you they had a graceful menopause? How about graceful joint pain or graceful vaginal dryness? SMH

Aging gracefully represents a quietness, a sitting in the corner looking-pretty state of mind. It’s a tight handgrip on how we used to look and feel. It’s putting the focus on the wrong target.

“There is so much judgment inherent in the term ‘aging gracefully’” Julianne Moore said. “Is there an ungraceful way to age?”

The real real is that ballet dancers put their bodies through brutal, unnaturally positioned, physical demands.

When cats fall and land on their feet, they use their reflexes, flexible backbones, inertia, rotation, and body to decrease drag.

As a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, Audrey Hepburn traveled to the most impoverished areas of the globe to support and bring attention to vulnerable children and women.

The reality is less about grace and more about intention, power, and strength.

And it’s how we should tackle aging.

Think about your life 10, 15, 20 years from today.

• If you want to have a mobile body, move now.

• If you want to be disease-free, prioritize your health now.

• If you want to have close friends, socialize now.

• If you want to repair relationships, speak up now.

• If you want to build cognitive reserves, train your brain now.

• If you want to look like you’re still 30, no judgment here, but TBH balance, flexibility, and posture will make you look younger than any fancy face cream.

There is a place for grace through kindness, patience, and mindfulness.

But for aging, let’s do it powerfully with intention, and strength.

Don’t wait, start today.