Older Adults Are Sharing The 22 Little Things They Loved About Their Bodies As They Aged, And Everyone Struggling With Aging Needs To Read This
There's no shortage of body negativity on the internet — or in real-life adolescence and beyond. But plenty of older adults, including some in the BuzzFeed Community, are fully embracing age. I recently called on them to share what they loved about their bodies as they aged, and as a young adult, I really needed to hear some of these:
1."I still struggle with my body, but I can say I 1000% love my gray hair. I dyed it for so long and then finally surrendered to it five years ago at 39 years old. Wish I had done it so much sooner. It's still mixed with some of my natural brown, but it's over 60% gray now and I can't wait until it's totally there."
2."My skin. As I have aged, pimples have become few and far between, and I'm not nearly as oily as I was in my teens and early 20s. It's very nice and almost effortless."
—J., 39, TX
3."Menopause equals no pregnancy scares (but please still use protection bc it doesn't mean no STDs!)."
4."I'm stronger and more toned now than ever in my life. I spent most of my life looking like a skinny boy, and then somewhere in my 30s, I started filling out as if my body was preparing me to have babies (plot twist: I don't have any kids!). I'm exercising more and more as I get older, not because I'm afraid of aging but because it feels good. I appreciate what my body can do, and the consistent effort is validated by how often strangers compliment me, but even if they didn't, I've got eyes, and I'm proud of what I see!"
—Elizabeth, 47, Los Angeles
5."I'm kinda digging the white beard."
6."No more migraines!! I suffered from migraines for over 45 years, but I haven't had ANY since my hysterectomy three years ago."
—Anonymous
7."My hair started turning from auburn to absolute white when I was 19. I dyed it back to its original auburn for 30 years. I’ve started to let the white grow in, and I now have a Rogue-like, pure, stark white streak in the front. I love it, and apparently others do as well!"
8."I’m 31 and have endometriosis and interstitial cystitis, and had adenomyosis. The hatred I had towards my body that it wasn’t working, it was hurting me, and the lack of mobility from the pain leading to weight gain and more negative self-talk was a daily narrative. Five surgeries and a hysterectomy later, my scars and not-flat-at-all stomach that I used to hate, I now look at and see how my body has healed time and time again."
—Tarah, 31, Michigan
9."My laugh lines! They show that I have a sense of humor and am kind. 😊"
"I love my laugh lines. They’re a daily reminder of the joy I’ve experienced throughout my years. Please don’t take life so seriously; you’ll miss out on the small events that make life worth living."
—Violet, 51
10."I absolutely love my skin tone now!! During my teenage years, a specific skin tone was extremely fashionable, and the peer pressure to get to that shade was intense. I'm grateful I didn't give in because the side effects are really hitting hard a couple of decades later. It's nice to look my age and be absolutely confident in how breathtakingly stunning my body really is."
—Eliza, 43
11."Don't waste time buying into fatphobia and diet culture. It took me a decade to unlearn what had been drilled into my head for my entire life. So much energy wasted on hating the way I looked! Love your body for what it gives you. It doesn't matter what it looks like or what size or shape it is! Learn to feel good about yourself because you feel great and not because you conform to the ideal of a $3B industry targeted at making you feel like shit. Be kind to your body and to yourself. Give yourself permission to STOP CARING."
12."My daughter looks like me — almost a carbon copy. She is so beautiful, both inside and out. So many people tell us how much we look alike, including strangers in the street. It fills me with joy — and has changed how I view myself. I am no longer critical of my face and features, as I see so much of myself in her. We are both beautiful."
—Crystal, 43
13."I'm heavier now, and my waist is the biggest it's ever been, but I feel stronger and more confident about my body. I'm also loving my grey hair."
14."I've had the same experience: I like my body much more than I did when I was younger, even though I've put on some weight since then. I learned not to beat myself up about not being super thin — it took a while, but I'm much happier now. Also, my hair's going silver, and it looks awesome."
15."After years of being physically fit, even with periods of not being as consistent, having injuries, or being pregnant, I love my muscle memory. The fat might not disappear as quickly as I near my 40s, but if I go a few weeks/months without working out heavily, it's not nearly as hard to get back into it. For example, in my 20s, my running endurance would seriously dip if I took a break. Now, at almost 40, I can not run for two months, and my endurance doesn't take much of a hit when I pick it back up. Being consistent with fitness over a lifetime really does pay off."
—Anonymous
16."No more menstrual periods! Menopause wasn't bad, and now I am free of those monthly worries of being in the wrong place when my period started."
"This is very helpful to hear. My butt is currently being kicked by perimenopause, so it's nice to know there's light at the end of the tunnel."
"I definitely don't miss that whoosh sensation whenever I stand up, and now I have 75% fewer migraines!"
17."I'm only 31, but I never expected to live this long. I have been ill my whole life and, at one point, didn't believe I would even make adulthood, never mind my 30s. I feel so grateful to have been here long enough to see some white hairs coming in. Also, I never had a waist until I turned 30, and then an hourglass figure appeared. I knew that fat distribution changes as you age, but I didn't expect it to be quite so dramatic!"
—Anonymous
18."I felt so insecure about my body when I was younger. I yearned to be, among other things, skinnier, taller, have straight hair, and not have the stretch marks that puberty gave me (which were pretty much non-existent). At 50, I feel the hottest I ever have while also being the fattest I have ever been, with a billion stretch marks and frizzy graying hair. My body is soft, and I know myself better than I ever have, including sexually. It is also awesome that I don't give a single shit what men think of me, which is the best thing that ever happened in my entire life. Once I stopped seeing myself through the lens of men, everything about my life got better. (Also, a side benefit of getting older... being invisible to men is a fucking gift.)"
—"Hot Mom", 50, WA
19."My decreasing ability to handle food like sugar and alcohol has forced me to clean up my diet, so I guess there's that."
20."I came out as nonbinary after I turned 40 and have gone from a 'high femme,' high maintenance appearance to a more androgynous one. I am so much happier now that I look more masculine. It was like waking up one day and meeting myself for the first time after all these years of seeing the perfect stranger in the mirror."
—Anonymous, 47
21."Yep, I hit 50, and my sweet tooth must have fallen out. I used to be a huge sugar junkie, but now I just feel terrible after I’ve eaten sugary stuff. No diabetes issues, either."
22."I always had baby-fine hair that was difficult to style. Once it turned from blonde to pure white, it got a lot coarser. Now I rock a short, spiky look, and for the first time, I would say my hair is my best feature."
—Michele, 59
Do you have a favorite or surprising physical trait you're loving in your 40s, 50s, or beyond? Please share in the comments — or using this anonymous form.
