Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I walked with my friend today who had surgery on her nose this week, and though the news was good - no cancer - the incision was large and she's pretty upset. I know that most people think at our age we don't care any more how we look, but this is false. When I had surgery on my forehead, I wore bangs for years afterwards. I am finally okay with my scar, which has faded, but truly, along with the double chin, creppy skin, extra weight, gray hair, and other little joys, we DO care, sometimes a lot. We make an effort to look nice, and not repell our grandkids, and for our own sakes we want to feel attractive, okay, attractive for our age, but still. The little daily indignities sometimes feel as hard to bear as the constant medical appointments, tests and aches and pains of crumbling bodies. And my women friends and I appreciate the effort we make, and it cheers us up. We like new shoes, preferably red. My new eyeglasses that no one else notices perk me up, and when my hair seems all going in the same direction I'm thrilled. It's a mistake to assume vanity goes away in the vast wisdom we possess. We are still FULLY HUMAN. We're not trying to appear younger, just vibrant and expressive of our colorful being within.