I really thought
I was getting through to her, making her see what life was all about, but then
she spoke. She looked me right in the eye, those eyes with crow's feet
imprinted on them, with an age spot on the left cheek, and said, "If you
don't get me some Botox and a laser peel, sister, you'd better just cover all
the mirrors in the house."
Thursday, August 8, 2013
A CASE OF AGE DISCRIMINATION
She and I used to
be so close, it seemed like we could read each other's thoughts. We knew all
the same people, had the same hobbies, and enjoyed the same books--even our
politics lined up. But that was before. When I saw her recently, she felt like
a stranger. My first thought was, "Oh my God, you look so old!" I
didn't say anything, of course, but she knew what I was thinking, it was all
over my face. She looked so unhappy, too. I tried to smile and cheer her up,
but she wasn't buying it. Then, I decided to give her a pep talk about the good
things in her life that had only come with the passage of time: the long
friendships, the deep appreciation for nature, the poignancy of life itself.
And how, when she was young, she couldn't understand the connectedness of
everything, and how we are here for a higher purpose--to care for each other
and lift each other up, to embrace a philosophy of loving kindness and
compassion. I explained that age isn't important at all, it's wisdom, knowledge
and experience that matter.
So I covered all
the mirrors.
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