Aging Bill of Rights

Aging Bill of Rights
By Jeannine Carroll

As a woman of a certain age, I would like the following Rights:

1. The Right to have wrinkles.

I've enjoyed my life. The wrinkles show where all my smiles have been!

2. The Right to let my hair go gray, if I so choose.

I may not choose to go gray, but it's my choice!

3. The Right to wear comfortable shoes.

I need shoes that will help me put some spring back in my step-not sprain my ankle!

4. The Right to take a nap.

I don't want to be embarrassed if you find me napping. I know that a thirty minute nap is just what I need to get my energy back.

5. The Right to slow down.

I remember all the nights of fitting in a hundred chores before bedtime. Time is so crowded when we're young! I want to enjoy myself without feeling the need to be working.

6. The Right to act my age.

I will freely give up this right if grandchildren are near. Around them, I can frequently be seen acting like a young girl.

7. The Right to let someone else be in charge every once in a while.

It's not so bad to let someone else do the driving or cooking on Thanksgiving Day. This gives me more time to really enjoy my loved ones!

8. The Right to bake cookies.

I don't want to worry about calories or organic ingredients. I want my loved ones to know what it's like to walk into a home where warm cookies are just coming out of the oven!

9. The Right to move a little slower if I feel stiff or my joints ache.

Yes, this might give away the fact that I'm not 40 anymore, but after all, this is what happens to some of us.

10. The Right to be Old-Fashioned.

I may want to write a letter instead of an e-mail, read a book instead of a Kindle, hold an actual picture in my hands or be with my grandchildren instead of Skyping them!

To all of you beautiful older women who look just like you did when you were 40- You're not doing me any favors! I have earned every wrinkle, gray hair, and nap! Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I'll stop taking care of myself. I just want to be compared with other 60-year- olds when I'm sixty-not my daughter!

I'm no longer a young woman, but I have the wisdom that only comes with age. I know that a dark night is often followed by a beautiful sunrise. Many young people haven't experienced enough dark nights to know this, yet.

My face may have wrinkles, it also has an easy smile and eyes that are alive with delight at all the world has to offer. Let the young women spend their time and money on beauty. Each moment I have is precious!

"I will not resent growing old, as many are never given the privilege!" (Quote paraphrased-Author Unknown)