Shining and Sinking
‘’Whoaaa!’’ Stumbling on her cane, but oh so charming, Grace is trying to sell purple vibrators alongside her exotic friend Frankie to a church club full of seniors. The series Grace and Frankie is delightfully caricatural and silly, yet it often leaves me doubled over with laughter. The show features two aging women who, by fate, are forced to operate as partners in crime, despite their differences. Jane Fonda, who portrays Grace, is a classy control freak who learns to loosen up thanks to the free-spirited hippie Frankie. Both of them start a vibrator business after retirement age to feel young again and remain relevant in society—perhaps to avoid facing the fear of aging entirely through martinis and cocktails. Both ladies struggle with their age.
Struggling with Age
Especially Jane Fonda looks fantastic for her age (81). Her secret? Lots of exercise, the right diet, and plastic surgery. But fitness, low-calorie meals, and regular visits to her plastic surgeon—which can cost up to $37,000—seem like an obsession. Ridiculous or not, we recognize the symptoms of occasional struggles with our age and the decline of our looks. What concerns us more; if we still have a dream to fulfill that feels like it’s already too late. So, let’s get to work.
Hormones Raging Through Your Body
Even though we are both still fit and lively, sometimes we long for our youth. As we stroll along the riverside towards the ocean, we spot a young couple kissing. The world around them doesn’t exist. “Do you see that?” Eus asks, squinting at the lovebirds. “I’d still like to experience that again, to feel my hormones raging, taking over my body while I feel like one big testosterone rush.” “Ha, ha, haaaa!” I burst into laughter. It feels like we’re living in the series Grace and Frankie. “Dear caveman, you have enough testosterone for your age.”
The Downsides of Sinking
Every age comes with its pros and cons. The farewell to youth. Watching your body shrink in height and perhaps expand in width as you age. No matter which cream you apply, wrinkles mark the passage of time like tree rings on your face. The meno and penopause issues, when not fully embraced or acknowledged, can lead you straight into a midlife crisis. Yet, I prefer to focus on the many advantages.
The Benefits of Shining in Your Age
- More inner peace. The Sturm und Drang of proving yourself and competing fades away.
- You no longer get so worked up by negative thoughts about yourself or reactions from others.
- You know what you want and you go for it; after all, you have fewer years to waste.
- Time is experienced differently, allowing you to take more time to truly enjoy the little things that feel significant.
- With life experience, you learn to put things into perspective. You can share and embody life lessons.
- Intimacy becomes deeper and more meaningful.
- You no longer have to, but you are free to choose.
- The balloons of illusions have long been popped, making disappointments less intense.
- You no longer waste time on complicated nonsense.
- You want to give meaning to your life and leave the world a little more beautiful.
How do you experience your age? What are the advantages of getting older for you and what feels detrimental?
