Being Able to Relate is Good!

Not Your Daughter’s Jeans
I was browsing through Nordstrom the other day (my favorite department store!), and I stopped by a jeans rack. Buying a pair of jeans can be a little like trying on swimsuits and evening dresses. Not always the most fun thing If your body isn’t perfectly proportioned. (and mine is not!). There are just some areas that don’t always fill out and fit in the seams the way I’d like them too. So when I find a pair of jeans that hold it all in well, I grab them! (And, I may grab them in several colors.)

I was super excited because as I pulled these jeans up and over my legs and hips–and in a size, to be honest, that I’m hoping to fit into!,–and I was p-l-e-a-s-e-d. They slipped on easily, which is always a good sign, and fit like a glove–and the bonus is they had enough give in them to be super comfy, too! (Comfort is my new standard in clothing and shoes these days.)

As I began selecting several styles and colors of the same brand, I commented to the clerk how well they fit. She looked over the tops of her glasses, nodded and smiled with a bit of a smirk. I asked what the “NYD” stood for…

She smiled again and said, it’s short for “Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, dear. Many women don’t want to buy them when they hear that.”

A loud belly laugh escaped me, “Ohhhhhh. That explains it! No wonder they fit so well!”

Brilliantly made to fit a premenopausal body. That’s me.

A couple of years ago, I was buying True Religions—same size as my daughter. Well, the hips are a little thicker now, and there’s just a little more cush in my tush these days for no other reason than padding is probably considered a good thing–but not so much for my wardrobe. To be honest, I welcome a little bit higher waistband these days.

Instead of resisting with negative thoughts that are truly redundant about my changing body, I am grateful I’ve found jeans that fit well and help me tuck it all in! (And, the bonus is I feel sexy in them too.)

(For the guys who are reading this–maybe you can relate to your belt size growing an inch or two–you know how you always wore a size 34 and suddenly you are now buying a 36?)

The point of me sharing this with you is that even though my personal goal is always to look and feel the best I can for the age I am, I don’t sweat the kind of change that is imminent, and you shouldn’t waste precious energy doing that either.

Everything changes—including bodies, and when we are in THE CHANGE, it’s a time of aging gratefully and that is aging gracefully.

To be honest, the other option just doesn’t look as good on us. I’d rather be the woman walking down the street who gracefully owns my mantle of age and true essence of beauty than the woman wearing the mini skirt who clearly resists what cannot be fought.

Save the swimming upstream for the salmon to do. That’s what I tell myself.

There are a few simple daily practices that I follow that help me feel great and graceful as I go through change.

Here are my top thirteen “No Sweat” self-care tips for aging gratefully: ( &gracefully!)

After a good night’s sleep, I wake up and drink hot lemon water and get off to a peaceful start. I meditate and journal my gratitude and feelings.
Get off the scale and focus on being healthy rather than thin. I look in the mirror and thank those parts of my body that remain beautiful even though they are changing shape.
Keep moving… If I find myself sitting to work, I get up and stretch or walk around my kitchen and talk. Don’t just sit there!
Exercise daily—especially in the morning. 
This helps boost the metabolism and sustain energy all day long.
Eat well. Good wholesome food. Raw food. Food that heals. (And, when I reach into the fridge, the cool box is good for hot flashes too! I’ve been known to hang out there for awhile.)
Laugh a lot and cry generously too. Laughter is the best medicine, and “every tear is worth a thousand words.”
Speak positively. Saying positive things feels good and leaves a powerful ripple effect on others, too.
Be playful and smile as much as possible.
Be grateful for the simple ordinary things… like clean air and flushing toilets, running water, and soft linens and scents of gardenia and rose.
Engage. Most of all, remember how blessed it is to get another day to LIVE—to be here now. So be present for every moment of it!
Bring in fresh flowers- and spend time gardening and in nature.
Play music and dance in the bathroom naked–as if no one is watching. (And, hopefully no one is!)
Don’t sweat the small stuff, don’t sweat the change either. Remember those minor annoyances are not important and simply won’t matter next week, and they steal the joy right out of the present moment.
Keep in mind as you care for yourself gently in this time of your body transition, that they may not be your daughter’s jeans, but they fit you beautifully. And, you are a woman whose time and wisdom has earned you every curve. Wear it well. Don’t sweat the change; OWN what fits you perfectly, right where you are at this stage of life as you are taking care of yourself and living your most vibrant life now.

By Kristine Carlson|September 17th, 2015|Living The Big Stuff