A Love/Hate Relationship

As we age, many of us discover our love/hate relationship with gravity.  Oh, of course, we like to keep both feet on the ground, but . . . gravity has a pull on the rest of our body as well.  As I survey this "earthly ensemble" it seems no part of my body is where our Creator first created it to be.

Dealing with gravity seems to be a give and take situation.

I used to be self-conscious about a round or oval face.  Thanks to gravity, my cheek bones have a more chiseled appearance, my face seems thinner, but there's the whole jowls thing now going on at my jawline.  As for the chin and neck thing, I look in the mirror and see my grandma looking back.  I've wondered if I began sleeping like a bat . . . upside down, if my body would sort of balance out on the gravity effect.

Moving right along the topography of this "dust" I call a body.  I have discovered two positive things from the effect of gravity on breasts.  I made a friend at Her Room and that midriff bulge I was concerned about in my early 30s is now completely concealed by sagging breasts.  WIN/WIN!  As a matter of fact, a fuller waistline is concealed and camouflaged by a sagging bosom, as well.  Who knew all the perks of the lack of perkiness?

There is also a new reality in weight management.  Too much weight loss accentuates the effect of gravity on loose skin.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!  I can't say with certainty that gravity affects us internally; but age, time and childbirth certainly seem to have left an impact on muscle tone and bladder resilience.  In my younger days, working in long term care, I apparently thought, it all just hit over night.  Ah, the twenties are such a time of oblivious cluelessness.

Moving right along, or down, I have to say, as full figured as I am, I do not have cankles, but my behind is no longer where it once was.  My tuchus is not yet directly behind my knees, as of yet, but . . . on to my ankles because; I have skinny ankles.  The only thing on me that is skinny, so I like to mention them at every opportunity.  One of my daughters and a few grandchildren refer to my "grandma chicken legs."  Whatever that means . . .  Meanwhile my feet don't look too bad for holding all this up and keeping me "fastened" to the sod for the time being.

I used to stand on my head, every year on my birthday, just to know I still could . . . in case I ever wanted to give that "bat sleeping style" a try.  I discovered on my 46th birthday, 45 was the last year for that!  I also discovered in that same gymnastic attempt, sleeping inverted would not work.  It is indeed possible for breast tissue to compress one's throat and constrict breathing . . .

I'm going to do everything in my power, to embrace this right of passage and be thankful in all things including gravity.  For now, it's keeping me grounded and stable!  Nobody wants to imagine all this floating in the atmosphere, overhead!  The love/hate relationship continues.