Funny thing happened at the shop today. Well, it was funny only because of my plans for the blog update tonight. I have found it quite amusing that, periodically, as I'm heading to the hairdresser for a trim, my husband will ask me to put some blonde highlights in my hair. For the record, I am gloriously gray and loving it. I don't pretend to be anything other than the age I am and that is that of a grandmother.
I don't think I look any different than I did at 40, when I was doing yoga daily and taking ballet classes and had quite striking short, red hair. I just feel 'riper'.
The reason I find my husband's comments amusing is precisely because I love my gray head and everything it represents - a life well lived; beautiful, healthy children; a grandchild; crises survived; friends and family loved and lost. And I love the freedom to be who I am without care of how others judge me. If some should look at me and think "older", I'm fine with that. But, apparently, my husband isn't quite so.
I do believe that men don't accept aging with quite the relish that we women do. I suppose if I were to be able to get into his head (which I would never pretend to be able to do), I would see a man struggling with his own aging. Where he sees his life winding down; I see my life winding up. I have accomplished life now it's time to accomplish my dreams. Ergo, I am so completely happy with my age because it has brought me to this point. I care not one bit for the past, other to remember it fondly. Bring on the future. I have much to accomplish.
Because I suspect my husband is not quite happy getting older, I assume he sees this gray-haired woman on his arm and thinks others see him as old. I wish he would realize that others see the beauty in the gray.
Which brings me back to the funny thing that happened today.
A new customer came in to the shop and, in the course of chatting, commented on how much she liked my hair. She had a wondrous head of white/gray hair also which was quite elegant. We shared our thoughts on how freeing it is to go 'au natural' and we were quite surprised that both of our husbands had urged us to colour.
As always, I get such strength from other women and today was no different.
We all should be comfortable with however we choose to live out life's final third; colour / no colour; cosmetic treatments or no, as long as we are realizing our dreams, we should go with pride.
