Healthy Obsession (oxymoron)

Health and Reality are two very interesting topics, and not often on relative terms with each other.  When you think of that new baby, fresh and pink, they too can harbor unknown issues. Our very nature is given to us to manipulate to suit this life's journey, we think, to a point.  We pray a lot on it.

As I have aged, wow and wow, so many things has this body endured and presented to me.  None of it seems to fit into the magazine or TV ads that literally pummel our psyches.  We fight so hard against our very nature.  Our warped view as teenagers on how we never looked good enough, was a very wrong perception.  Maternity time for me was literally gaggy and feeling like a science experiment, they say I glowed, I highly doubt it.  That "What To Expect When Your Expecting" book, left out some interesting details.  Child rearing time is heavy with sleep deprivation, so you better record some things, because you won't recall them later.  Midlife spread is a thing, unless you become obsessive about it not happening and dedicate money or many hours to avoid it.  The hormonal surge for women leaves you feeling much like your teenage years all over again, except this time, your sense of social boundaries escapes you, and things just spout of your mouth. This can change relationships, but you can barely recall what you said, you are back to sopping sweat and throbbing heat headaches.  Never be one of those women who say "I didn't really ever go through that", just don't.

Then another stage hits, I fondly call it the fourth quarter, which others do not like to hear, as in, after the fourth quarter is death, well, yes it is, you made it this far, good for us.  In this quarter, your hearing and sight have already taken a hit, you nod and squint.  Gums recede. Your center of gravity shifted just enough that combined with the above, taking a fall is imminent, and repetitive unless you really focus on being in the moment.  So you look at more meaningful ways to stay in shape, to avoid falling or other pains that arise from not being flexible enough.  Your skin is in constant disarray.  You are unable to hold moisture on any surface of it.  Spots and bumps multiply, and those are the ones you can still see.  You actually have someone pinky swear with you, that if a forlorn hair follicle or bump appears that is concerning to them, they will tell you about it.  Makeup is barely applicable.  Your bumpy bones are showing the wear of gravity as well, and all the old injuries have come to have a chat.  Your tool box now contains magnifying mirrors, toothpicks and serious medical to do lists.

What I love about all of this, is we get to experience it.  The USA is more self absorbed about our looks, if you have traveled abroad you know what I mean.  I will never forget the sauna in Germany, naked bodies everywhere, and here is the American in the swimsuit.  I didn't know. But those of us in this quarter, get to feel time and its passing, and it awakens a retrospective review that often brings enlightenment, self love in a new and more meaningful way, and with that love, we have even more to share with our fellow humans.  Plus we can share really funny stories and gross out or scare the bejeezes out of young-ins.  There is that.