Win $500 Spa GC from BlogHer 0831

The BlogHer Get Old Program Wave 2 Sweepstakes run from 7/30/12 through 8/31/12. Both sweepstakes are only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Medical professionals who are licensed (or are otherwise authorized) to prescribe medications are not eligible to enter. Click  here for official rules for Wave 2.  Entries will be pooled across participating blogs for each wave and winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Good luck!

Living Your Best Life At Any Age {Or...I'm Getting Old...Now What Do I Do?}

Well, if I’m OLD, I might as well write about it! Even if I’m not HAPPY about it. I begrudgingly went and visited GetOld.com, the website that Pfizer has launched where members of the public are encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences about getting older. First impression? Cool website. Neat interface. Creative idea!  

Getting Old? Pffft, don't make me laugh...

My journey into this new-found confidence and happiness began as I approached my fiftieth birthday. I realized I was not the woman I wanted to be; I was not the woman I knew my parents and children could be proud of, and I was the only one to blame. It was then that I decided I was the one who had to take the steps that would force me in the right direction.  

Growing Old. Get There.

The way I look at growing older now? I see it as BRING IT ON, BIRTHDAYS. Because the alternative to not growing older? I’m not really into it. At all.  

Boring-Goody-Goody-Rule-Follower

But, NOW I look forward to getting older because I wonder what I can do to make a difference. To change things. To leave an impact. To me, getting older is not just about wrinkles and eye cream {although I will definitely be using the eye cream}. It’s more about the legacy that I am leaving behind.

The Alternative to Getting Old is Worse Than Getting Old

Getting old is not for the faint of heart, it's true, but it sure beats the alternative. Celebrating birthday after birthday is not a bad thing, though - with age comes wisdom and freedom and being comfortable in one's skin.  

Getting Old{er} Rocks

30 was a big birthday for me – not because it meant the end of my 20s but because 30 is the first birthday of my mom’s I remember. It was the first time I had the thought: My mom is old.  

Get Old… and Fulfill Your Dreams

But eventually that depression releases its stronghold, and I find myself planning and, most importantly, hoping for my future. I am determined to live as long a life as possible and to fulfill my remaining dreams. And my biggest dream in the second half of my life is to travel.  

My Thoughts on “Getting Old”

I want to be a healthy mom. When my own mother was diagnosed with melanoma in 2010, I vowed to be even more careful than ever about my time in the sun. I’ve seen the effects it has had on her, and I am determined to protect myself and my children from that kind of hardship.  

Getting Older – Thoughts and a Sweepstakes

My parents are a great example; they’re in their late sixties and haven’t slowed down or given up any of the things that they love. My dad teaches for the University of Phoenix and owns a clock repair business, despite being officially retired. My mom is also retired but goes to quilting every week and creates gorgeous and award-winning quilts for family and friends.  

Getting Older

Where had the time gone? There are small bags under my eyes, wrinkles where I furrow my brows and pigment splotching on my forehead. I wished for a moment I could go back to my teens and just battle the occasional breakouts; but the truth is, I would never choose to go back.

How Do You Feel About Getting Old?

I want to become more active physically, travel throughout the wonderful National Parks in the West, learn more about photography, challenge myself to ride a horse, hike and ski, do more creative activities, and most of all enjoy my grandchildren!  

Get Old? Why Not?

My twenties were fun, but my thirties are better. Quite frankly, that makes me super optimistic about my forties, too! I don’t lie about my age– never have and never intend to. I think that getting older is a blessing and an opportunity and I want to both celebrate it and be prepared for it.

Get Old. Get Awesome. Or Something.

I kind of want to punch puppies when I find a new gray hair, and I most definitely dropped a few not-nice words the first time I noticed a couple of the lines on my face that are more than shadows.  

In Which We Put On Our Big Girl Pants

Although getting old scares me sometimes, not getting old scares me more. I would hate to have my life cut short because of something I could have prevented. I have so much left I want to do with my life, and so much I want to do, share, and experience with the kids. And I’ll be darned if I’m going let a five minute exam stand in the way of getting old.  

On growing old{er}

When I think about getting older, I think about Doug's grandparents. To sit with them and listen to stories from their combined 180 years on this Earth is an amazing testament to a life well-lived.

Getting Older At My Own Pace

I think about aging a lot when I run. Starting a running routine was one of the first decisions I made for myself as an autonomous adult, and I imagine it was one of the best decisions I could have made to keep myself younger longer.  

Not Forever 29

I just celebrated my twenty-ninth birthday. I don't intend to celebrate it again, adding air quotes around the number as I repeat it each calendar year. No, I will not be forever twenty-nine no matter how hard the glossy covers try to convince me aging is unnatural and youth is the pathway to happiness.

Goals for Aging

With thirty being an age quickly approaching, I think about my past ten years and how I've aged. I don't really feel older. I do feel more tired, yes. I've grown as a person, of course, but to me, I think aging is what you make of it.  

Growing Old With Beauty and Grace

So what inspires me to want to grow old well? It’s my love of life. I enjoy every minute of every day and I want to continue to do so. Not only do I want to have a lot of years left, but I want to have a lot of good years left! 

I Like Old.

Getting old is a joyful, frustrating, tiring, exhilarating, painful, precious process. And I wouldn't trade it for any proffered Fountain of Youth because I wouldn't be who I am right now if I was suddenly young again. And I pretty much like who I am right now, wrinkles and wobbles and all.

Thought on Birthdays

Why can’t they CELEBRATE their birthdays? I’ll admit, I haven’t been one to throw big parties for myself or make a big to-do about my birthdays, but I smile and add a number onto my age and enjoy every one of the next 365 days (you know, unless I’ve had food poisoning) until the next number gets added on.  

I'm Excited About Getting Older

I'm pretty sure I'm going to love being 43, too. My kids will be 15 and 12. Life steeped in adolescent girls may not be peaceful and serene, but it will be exciting and full. My girls will be more independent and require less hands-on maintenance. They'll be sophisticated and knowledgeable.

My Thoughts on Getting Older...

I think as a child and teenager I thought "getting old" would be terrible because it seems, to a child, that older people never have any fun. That is funny when I think about it now. "Old" people have ALL the fun. 

Older, Wiser, Better!

My opinion seems to really count at this point in life. As you age, people respect you more for your gained knowledge. There is something very fulfilling about being heard by others AND knowing they trust you because of your wisdom!  

The Beauty of Getting Old

Life goes so dang fast. When the gray hairs start sprouting, skin starts drooping, you notice you're older than all the girls on The Bachelor, and you can reflect on life before the internet, it's a major wake-up call.

Enjoy Your Hairy Legs

It's that whole sapling allegory, you know? The one who is subjected to the storms learns to bend, change, and become stronger. I might be a bit softer in parts of my body, and I'm working on that, but my mind is stronger, my passion is brighter, and my love and ability to love is larger.  

Old. (Deep Breath) Is Okay.

Because, really, age doesn’t mean much. It doesn’t define who I am or how I feel about myself, and it doesn’t define what I can do or where I can go with my life. There are so many things I have now that I didn’t have in my early 20s…