Sunday, 23 November 2008

For everyone an age of beauty...

They say everyone has an age into which they grow, or an age at which they are at their most attractive. This 'profound' thought came to me again as I watch a reply of last nights X factor. Take That kicked off the show and it crossed my mind for the first time (really!!) that Gary Barlow is actually quite attractive. I wondered why this is news to me - apparently millions have thought so for a very long time! But I think perhaps he has grown into his age/beautiful phase. He is older, has an air of confidence, has lost the cockiness of youth, there are a few lines around his eyes - but yip he is def an attractive man.

The image you have of yourself is important. I grew up a bit of a lanky tom boy. As a teen was a late developer - tall and gangly, not pretty (so I was told regularly) and inflicted with red hair and freckles.

It has taken me a long time to accept that I am who I am and I have the body and face that God gave me. And it has taken me until very recently to accept the fact that this is as good as it gets! I am forty years old and this seems to take people by surprise. Today I was told by a Doctor he thought I was only 24 - it was only when he heard I had teenage children that he realised I must be quite a bit older. This does of course help make me feel much better about myself (and confirm that all that money spent on moisturiser was worth it!)

Where I am heading with this is to say that I think I may have grown into my age - I can now hold my head up and consider myself beautiful. Not beautiful in the conventional head turning, model/actress way. But beautiful in having a confidence about my body and self that shines - I can now love my freckles and appreciated by red hair (even if I have to chemically enhance it!) I can now accept that I have gifts to offer, I can do things and do them well. I know I am what I am, I know I am on a journey with God that has no end point, I know I am loved. What else matters? Don't get me wrong, I also know that I will have my moments of doubts.

We all have an 'age' - perhaps this is mine.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's lovely! Resonates so much. I long for that kind of contentment, and I seek it out in all sorts of places, knowing full well that i'll only find it inside my own head...

I think it's closely linked with confidence - that 'holding your head high' feeling - i get it now and again and when I do I've learnt to just enjoy it because low and behold I'll be knocked back down again soon enough. Which is why I blew my trumpet about Floors Castle - and yes, on Thursday I was knocked back down again!

Quite content with how atttractive I am at the moment - let's hope I haven't come of age just yet - there'd be nothing for you all to look forward to!

Anonymous said...

oh, and totally agree about GB!

Stewart Goudie said...

Last week I was quite chuffed when someone said they thought I was in my late 20s. I'm nearly double that - as you well know!
Beauty is not defined by hard logic but by our feelings. How we feel about each other affects how we think about them and about ourselves. I think you are beautiful too!

June said...

Hey Shuna - I don't know who told you that you weren't pretty when you were younger because I would have had to disagree!! And if I remember correctly, you were never short of male admirers in school. And, GB was always my favourite ;)

Shuna said...

This is all starting to sound like I needed affirmation! When it was supposed to be a statement of the opposite! But thank you anyway!
You are all beautiful!

Nodrog said...

To be honest, it was the 'teenage children' thing that surprised me too - I'd have gone for the same kind of age as your doctor!

Keep reflecting...
Dave