Fabulously Cheeky

Have you ever heard this expression? Mutton dressed as lamb is an English expression – it means that you are an old sheep trying to pretend that you are a lamb by dressing as a lamb. What has that got to do with you? If you are a menopausal women who is pretending to be a maiden by dressing inappropriately for your age, you are basically mutton dressed as lamb.

I saw an example of this last week when I attended a local party. A lady in her sixties who showed up with her husband, was dressed in a short babydoll minidress and tights, and even though she had the figure to pull it off, it didn’t make her look younger at all, it just made her look stupid.

What we have to remember is that every stage of life has its own beauty and its own purpose. Young maidens dress seductively because they are supposed to seduce a mate and start making babies. So, dressing in a babydoll minidress and tights is just the right thing for them.

The next stage is the mother. Her clothes are less seductive and more comfortable or practical. She knows that she’ll get dirty while taking care of her children, so she wears clothes that are comfortable and can be worn around children.

The third stage is the crone. She is done with creating life for others, and now she is creating life for herself instead. Menopause is about finding your inner goddess, your own style and your own wisdom, and to be a goddess, curves are needed. We aren’t supposed to compete with the young maidens firm and curveless body, we are supposed to celebrate our new found curves as well as the fruits of all our life experiences.

There was a time when elders were honored and respected for their wisdom, but this is no longer happening. Now, only the young women are honored for their beauty, and anyone who can’t compete seems to have totally lost their value.

The problem here is that we have accepted this perception of reality -that youth and beauty are the only things worth having. If we want this to change, WE are the ones who can turn this around. WE are the ones who can refuse to participate – to refuse having laser treatments to erase the signs of time on our faces, to refuse to go on strict diets to regain the body that we once had, to refuse to believe that beauty is only on the outside. What about inner beauty, love, wisdom and understanding? That must have some value, too! If it doesn’t, we must GIVE it value by appreciating ourselves as we are.

Let us be curvy goddesses with lots of life wisdom and interesting faces that show the experience of life etched into our lines. Let us wear loose, flowing goddess clothing that shows off our curves in the right places and hides them in other places. Forget about tights, babydolls and miniskirts and opt for long, flowing dresses and skirts. Deside to be comfortable in what your body has become, and stop trying to compete with the teenagers. You can’t win, no matter how much you try, so why not create your own style instead?

So, get rid of your old, skimpy stuff and give yourself a makover. Find your inner goddess (yes, we all have one), take her shopping, and amaze yourself! What are suitable clothes for a goddess? Babydolls and tights? NOT! More like chiffon dresses and vintage drapey coats, or loose assymmetric tops with ruches and cowl necks, and long flowing skirts. Oh, yeah! Celebrate the joy of being a woman of maturity!!!