GRAND Magazine - May/June 2018 - 15

relationships

What to do when Jane knows
dick about dating

he fact is, you can't turn back the clock, Jane,
and trying to as an older woman will last for
only so long. Eventually, your years will catch
up with you, no matter how much cream you rub
on your face or plastic surgery you elect to do.
I view it as immensely unfortunate that we
Janes have made such an enemy of time,
when time truly is our best friend.
We only get better with it and, although I
admire the beauty of young women in their 20s
and 30s, I would not want to trade the age I am
today for one less line in my forehead or at the
corners of my mouth. I earned them and am
damn proud of all that went into the creation of
every one of them. It disheartens me when I see
older women try to be something they are not.
They've bought into the idea that to be beautiful,
you have to be young. It is my belief that to be
beautiful, you have to be you. Beauty comes in all
types of packages, and if you have the chance to
travel, it will dispel any myths you may have to the
contrary.
What makes a woman beautiful is subjective
in nature. We live according to the standards
of the countries we are from, but that does
not necessarily make them right or right for
you. I've seen women whose faces, body types,
and ages fail to meet the measures of beauty
common to the United States, and yet they
15 GRAND

MAY JUNE 2018

were incredibly attractive, engaging, intelligent,
and vibrant women.
Personally, I find myself, at age fifty-one, to be
in the best shape and place I've ever been. I keep
myself fit through exercise and eat as healthy
a diet as possible, although not perfect by any
means. I seek out growth, enjoyment, and adventure at every turn and have learned to prioritize
my life and minimize my stress (or at least handle
it better than when I was younger). My face, well...
it boasts higher cheekbones today and is a bit
more pointed than in photos of my past, but these
are the features of my ancestors, and I am enormously proud of those people, so why wouldn't
I be proud of what they left me, which includes
the dignity and self-respect that come along with
knowing better?
Exclusive excerpt from the book, What To Do
When Jane Knows Dick About Dating.

Laura J. Wellington is the Founder
of the social media influencercelebrity blog THREAD MB as well
as an entrepreneur, author and
mom to five great kids. See www.
threadmb.com

"I would not want to trade the age I am today
for one less line in my forehead or at the
corners of my mouth."

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GRAND Magazine - May/June 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - May/June 2018