This week I turned 59. At another time in history I might find myself fretting over the fact that I’m nearly 60, hitting another decade, feeling the need to reassess or reconfirm my identity as still firmly connected to younger me.
This year, though, at this time in history, my feelings on turning 59 are different. They are gratitude that this body made it through an awful year of loss; hope, now that we have a vaccine (I got a J&J shot Friday!); and love for all the people and places that I’m connected to.
In this blog post from 2019, I wrote about some studies on self-image, bodies, and the experiences of aging. Take a look. I still believe what I wrote then. Two years and one pandemic later, though, I’m rethinking what it means to be seen as I age. I’m now including being seen as both vulnerable and valuable—yeah, I want people to see those things in me, too, as well as my contributions to the world.
I hope you all enjoy taking a moment to think about yourselves, your bodies, and what the past two years has meant for you in terms of what you want for yourselves.
-catherine
