The Best Part of Being a Senior Woman in 2024

This International Women’s Day, I’m celebrating my seniority.

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International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th. It commemorates the 1956 march by 20,000 South African women who stood up against violence against women and protested amendments to the Urban Areas Act of 1950. I read up on the act, and it’s clear why the protest was warranted. You can check out the Wikipedia description here.

Women’s History Month started as a one-week event in 1978 in Santa Rosa, California. Without going into the historical details, I can tell you that in March, thousands of posts will flood the internet celebrating women like Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, Maya Angelou, and Corrie Ten Boom. They were all amazing women who impacted our world in extraordinary ways.

This is not one of those posts. 😉

I’m celebrating embracing my age and the most significant advantage of being a woman in her sixties today. The best thing that happens to many of us senior girls is that we stop giving a rip about what others think of us. I know it’s not just me because lots of my gal pals agree.

Let’s talk about a fundamental truth. Men have it easier than women.

They never experience periods, giving birth, or menopause. God knew what he was doing. If he left childbirth to men, we’d likely be extinct by now. Do any of you gals have a man who doesn’t become a baby when he gets a cold or flu? If you do, you are blessed. I’ve yet to meet a man who can stand up to illness like a woman does.

Whether we work outside the home or homeschool and take care of the house, there are no sick days for moms who need to put food on the table and keep a house up. We juggle more responsibilities in a day than our men can fathom. We do it all while keeping ourselves in shape and looking put together. We put on a good face despite how we feel because we are caretakers. That face often needed a little sprucing up. 😜

Which leads me to the point of this post. There was a time when I wouldn’t go out the door without at least applying my painted-on eyebrows and some mascara. I’m a strawberry blond. Without makeup, it looks like I have none of either. 🥴

I wouldn’t be caught dead outside of my house without these basics on. I even applied makeup to go to the gym or take my walk around the neighborhood, just in case I ran into someone I knew. I owned the historic biker bar in my town, so I knew a lot of people.

Before I turned 50, I washed, blow-dried, curled my hair, and put on makeup EVERY day. The only exception was when I was too sick to get out of bed, so I knew no one would see me besides my husband. I wasn’t crazy about him seeing me in a bedraggled state, either. I put so much value on how I looked. Looking back, it was silly.

As a senior woman, I’m no longer overly concerned about my appearance. I will go out in public without any makeup. I will throw my hair in a ponytail and head out the door without washing it, much less curling it. In fact, now I only curl it for special occasions.

Here’s a confession I never thought I’d make. 🤭 I shower every other day now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m showering if I do something strenuous that makes me sweat. I hate body odor and would never subject anyone to it. But most of the time, every other day works fine.

The only problem is remembering when shower day is. 😄 Along with less concern about what people think, aging affects our memory. If I had a dollar for every time my husband and I asked each other if it was our shower day, we’d be rich. 💰💸

We try to shower on opposite days so we can tell whose turn it is by which towels are in the dryer. Then, one of us will mess up and skip a shower or shower on a non-shower day, and all bets are off. It’s a vicious cycle. 🎡

As well as not being obsessed with our looks, senior women don’t care if you agree with us. We express our opinions with abandon. Don’t ask us what we think of your haircut or outfit if you don’t want the unbridled truth. I’ve never been able to lie, even to keep from hurting someone’s feelings. I may attempt to tell you what you want to hear, but my face will tell you I’m lying.

At my age, I don’t attempt it anymore. I’m finally happy and comfortable in my own skin. It was a long time getting here. I hated my freckles, thin hair, and extra pounds. I look at pictures from long ago and remember thinking that I was fat. What I’d give to be that fat again. I’m still a few pounds overweight, but I don’t care. I’m healthy. We gals are supposed to carry a few extra pounds when we get older. I know I read that somewhere. 🙄

Here’s to all my sisters out there! 🥂Enjoy the month that honors us by doing something good for yourself or other ladies in your circle. Have a spa day, take in a movie, or just be you. I’m going to a lady’s tea party tomorrow. That’s something else I never thought I’d say.

Happy International Women’s Day! Here are some posts from some favorite ladies in the Medium family.

Here’s a great post from our Middle Pause Creator and editor about her journey to this wonderful publication.

Here’s a story from Deb Palmer. It’s an amazing tale from a woman with a rough start who has settled nicely into her own skin.

Jan Sebastian 🖐👩‍🦰is another favorite writer friend. Her story of perseverance against crazy odds makes her a woman who should be celebrated. She is comfortable enough in her own skin to share all kinds of funny stuff.