Feelin’ Groovy

A yellowing photograph of me kissing my father’s cheek sits on a table in the entryway of my apartment.  I’m about 24.  It must have been summer because I’m wearing a sleeveless shirt.  My hair is short and ultra curly.  I have a big smile on my face. My dark brown eyes are wide and sparkling. I don’t have an ounce of flab on the arm wrapped around my dad’s back.

When my 30-year-old son and I were recently discussing the photo, he commented: “You looked pretty hot then.”  Staring at the picture now—at 62—I answered,  “Yeah, I guess I did, but I never looked at myself that way.”

This got my mind churning. How is it that I think I look pretty darn good today, 38 years later, when my hair is thinner, my eyes a little less sparkly, my arms a lot less toned?  Simple. My self-image in 1978 wasn’t so hot.  I like myself in 2009.  I like my energy, my style, my attitude and my sense of humor.  I don’t even mind my midriff bulge and my less-than-perfect legs. I like what I’ve accomplished and look forward to what I still can accomplish.

I love my children, my sisters, my brothers-in-law, my nephews, my friends, and, of course, my husband. I like it all.

My husband often reminds me of the saying he saw years ago on a swimmer’s tee shirt: “The body achieves what the mind believes.”  Wow! Isn’t that the truth? Feeling good inside makes you look good outside, no matter what year of life the calendar claims you’re in.

Note: Of course, my Olay Pro-X anti-aging lotion, my Stephen Dweck moonstone bracelet, my hair colorist (Tara from Butterfly Studio Salon in New York), my Alain Mikli checked eyeglass frames, my vitamin packs from GNC, my yoga lesson (Adam from Pure Yoga) and the clothes I love to wear don’t hurt the look either.

When you’re Fab Over Fifty, you might as well have fun with the whole package. That’s what FOF women across the country have been telling me for months.  And that’s what we’ll all be able to share when faboverfifty.com launches in January.

oxo