avatarJanie Emaus

Summary

Three generations of women confront the realities of aging and body image while shopping for jeans together.

Abstract

The narrative "Three Generations of Butts" delves into the personal and collective experience of aging as observed by a woman shopping with her mother and daughter. It highlights the stark contrasts between their bodies, reflecting on the inevitable changes that come with time, such as drooping butts, sagging arms, and whitening hair. Despite the harsh truths revealed by the unforgiving mirrors of a dressing room, the women find humor and solidarity in their shared struggle to accept their bodies and find well-fitting jeans, transcending generational differences.

Opinions

  • The author initially feels insecure about her aging body when compared to her daughter's youthful physique.
  • The author expresses a desire to return to the past, specifically to 1990, to escape the realities of aging.
  • The author's mother, at ninety-four, represents a future projection of the author's body, which causes further concern.
  • The author is skeptical about the effectiveness of exercise in preventing the natural decline of the body's appearance.
  • The author's daughter expresses dissatisfaction with her waist, despite her mother's insistence that it is perfect.
  • The grandmother in the story reflects on her own body with humor, describing her butt as "flatter than melted butter" and her breasts as "like bananas."
  • The shared laughter among the three women underscores a universal, ageless dissatisfaction with body image and the shared human desire to look good regardless of age.

Three Generations of Butts

Hair whitens. Butts droop. Arms sag. Aging is not a pretty picture, is it?

And it’s even less pretty when you’re in a dressing room with all those mirrors that don’t hide anything. Rather, they emphasis all those parts of your body which you’d like to imagine looked differently.

But those mirrors don’t lie.

I was faced with that painful truth when I went shopping with my ninety-something mother and my thirty-something daughter. Three generations of women made from the same mold.

The similarities were still there, but the differences were hard to ignore.

Years ago, my butt was as firm and ripe as a melon, just like my daughter’s. My thighs were smooth, void of those craters and bumps making one think of the moon surface. My arms didn’t have that flabby effect. My hair was a natural blonde.

After looking from my daughter to myself, I wanted to bolt out of that room. In fact, I wanted to bolt out of 2019 and into 1990.

Then I looked at my ninety-four-year mom. And felt even worse.

I saw where my body was going!

And I’m not convinced that any amount of exercise can stop it from happening. (Although, I don’t think I’ll ever wear old lady under panties).

While I was lamenting the state of my future body, my daughter blurted out. “Ugh, I hate my waist.”

Me: “Your waist is perfect. Look at this extra skin around mine.”

My mother: “What are you two talking about? I’m one big wrinkle. My butt is flatter than melted butter. And my boobs are like bananas.”

With that, we all started laughing. There was no age difference in our giggles. Just three happy women, trying to find a decent pair of jeans that hugged our bodies in just the right way. No matter what that body looked like.

And we were determined to succeed. Because no matter our age, we all want to look good when facing the world.

Make no buts about it.

Photo by Gesina Kunkel on Unsplash
Humor
Body Image
Mothers And Daughters
Shopping
Self Love
Recommended from ReadMedium