I Am That Old Woman

      A while back, I was chatting with my daughter about legacies. She said to me, "Mom, C is your legacy." C is my granddaughter, the gorgeous redhead whom I adore. After this election, I am deeply concerned about what will be left for her.     Will my granddaughter be met with "Your body, my choice?" Will she have educational and employment opportunities? Will she be able to grow up to be whatever she wants to be? I saw this posted recently:  "We could have shown our daughters that they can do anything. Instead, we showed our sons that they can rape, cheat, and lie and still become the most powerful man in the country." It makes my heart break.     I am terrified about the future of our country in the hands of a want-to-be dictator. I'm frightened by what is being threatened for public education, for our planet. And within two weeks post-election, it appears that many who stood for democracy prior to the election, are bending a k...

             I have been away for a bit-a dear friend was visiting from Cyprus and my writing time was limited. During her visit, however, I made an interesting discovery about myself--that old woman.       My US friend was telling my Cypriot friend that she loved how I said what I thought, and that you knew what you were getting with me. I replied, "You mean, I have no filter." She responded that those words gave a negative connotation and that her observances were meant to be seen in a positive light. After much thought, I have decided to embrace my "no-filter-ness."     As a younger woman, I often bit my tongue, or kept my thoughts to myself. I would present a kind, agreeable self, one who nodded her head and didn't "make waves." Years have taught me that in doing so, I was denying who I really am, what I really think. I am entitled to my thoughts when I back them up with my experience and my education. They a...

We have this sense of beauty and staying young in our culture, but as I age, I become more and more troubled by what I see. I have noticed so many women turning to botox injections and facial plastic surgery. The problem I have with this great desire to stay looking "young"is that many of these women now look hideous.   Noses don't appear real and mouths and lips become distorted.  In my opinion, these women don't look young and attractive, they look defective, like something had gone terribly wrong.     All this in the pursuit of beauty, I say, bah, Humbug! Some things actually improve with age.   Take wine for example. I think women who show signs of aging show much beauty.   I remember watching my grandmother smile and looking at all of the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. Those wrinkles were lines that reflected a rich life.   Women are like fine wine.   They, too, improve with age.   Those lines can tell wonderful stories of jo...