A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE FROM THE PAST
My niece posted a photo of her Mom, my twin sister Linda, that I had never seen before. Judging by the look of the paisley dress she was wearing it appeared to be from the 1960’s. She looks beautiful in this photo. The irony is that she never saw herself that way. We used to spend hours on the phone talking about body image and weight issues which were a struggle for both of us. I didn’t see myself as beautiful either. I am so happy that later in her life Lin found a partner, her husband Steve, who loved her for exactly who she was, inside and out. When she would fall into old habits of putting herself down he would tell her how beautiful she was and encourage her to see herself as beautiful too. BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER This morning, while I was on a zoom meeting, someone told me I was beautiful and it brought up all the feelings I had in the past of not accepting myself just the way I am. I was never a head turner and time has added wrinkles and extra pounds. Thank goodness time has also added a perspective on beauty that I didn’t have in my younger days. There is a certain freedom in being older. It’s not just about lowering my expectations, it’s about seeing the beauty in my imperfections. Aging has made me happily aware that I am human and I don’t need to look or be a certain way. I am kinder to myself now that I am a little old lady with cats. Grief and loss and all the ups and downs of life have opened my heart and made me stronger, and there is beauty in that too. LASTING BEAUTY When that picture of Lin was taken she did not know what life had in store for her. She had a lifetime of changes and challenges ahead of her that would reshape her, both inside and out. Now that she is gone, I miss being able to just pick up the phone and share the struggles and joys of our lives. Although we were twins we were on very different paths. Like many sisters, there were times when we didn’t see eye to eye, but we loved each other unconditionally. She will always be beautiful to me.
2 Comments
JOAN L LINDBERG
5/30/2023 09:56:53 am
Wonderful photos and wonderful insight as well. As a high school classmate, I always viewed the two of you as individuals AND (almost) identical twins. I'm pretty sure your strong individual personalities were what defined you and yet you had that wonderful bond between you as well.
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Mary L Anderson
5/31/2023 03:38:18 pm
can't wait to read the book.
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Leslie Masona woman in search of her post-retirement future Guess what! By subscribing, you get notices about the latest Little Old Lady with Cats posts sent to your mailbox!
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(from an entry posted on 5/1/2015) “I definitely fit some of the characteristics of a little old lady with cats: Retired - check, Single - check, Like to knit - check, Have cats - check. . .I do not want to get stuck in my Little Old Lady persona, however. In fact, this blog is a risk taking experiment in exploring and redefining what I want my retired life to look like.” Categories
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