I have been giving a lot of thought lately to the subject of aging. It happens to all of us but some accept it more gracefully than others. I opt for gracefully, but doing everything I can to say healthy, sexy, vibrant and passionate about life. I just want to be the best I can be for the age that I am.
I don't have a teenage daughter but that doesn't mean I don't see how aware teenage girls are of their mother's fear, or, more accurately, their hatred, of aging. One girl said, "Every time I wrinkle my forehead, my mother points it out and tells me not to." Another spoke about "competitive dieting" with her mom, how she couldn't help but engage in it even though she thought her mother's obsession with fat was "crazy."
There is a study out from the Girl Scouts of the USA telling us what we already know, which is that the fashion industry and its use of ultra-thin models is making teenage girls too obsessed with being skinny, and distorting their body image. In my more limited unscientific research, the mothers are as strong an influence. Going on shopping trips with mom, usually a bonding experience, became all about hearing moms moan about their fat and rolls. Or seeing your mother trying on something, look in the mirror and say, ""I look ugly."
Daughters need their moms to be stable and secure. I have so many friends who will tell me with surprise, when looking at photos of themselves when they were younger, "Hey, I was really cute. I didn't realize it." No one does. You have to get older to realize it.
