How was I to know that hair loss, for example, could cost me P8,000 a month? At this age, even without any serious health threats, I’m running up serious expenses I haven’t at all anticipated. Let’s begin from the top.
The three lovable Delgado sisters sit in a front pew of the Power Plant chapel at Rockwell for a Mass commemorating the anniversary of Cory Aquino’s death. As usual for any Cory occasion, they are dressed in casual-chic yellow and, as usual for just about any occasion, wearing their golden-brown hair neatly teased. In their late 80s now, they look frailer than when I saw them last, but they remain bright-eyed and enthusiastic.
Frank Sinatra, the troubadour of his generation and its progeny, the generation to which I belong, sang the songs of our lives. Even the words he did not sing but simply utter, especially in the home stretch of his life, now resonate with me: I’m losing it.
I’ve never lived a balanced life. I excel in one or two things and flunk the rest. Never have I done anything in a straight line. Why are old people always wearing socks? Because the extremities—feet and hands— are always feeling cold due to poor circulation.
As I sit down to write this piece, I am tempted to ignore the significance of tomorrow’s date. As huge a milestone as people tell me it is, my gut is not at ease. People may think I want attention. Oh well. It is what it is!
I don’t remember exactly when the denial—or, if you like, the cheating—began. Was it as early as in my 40s, when I started dyeing my hair? Or as late as in my 60s, when I invested in my first body shaper?
What happened? It is, I guess, the critical question of the age. Looking in the mirror, I’m brought close to despair. When I last looked, I thought I was getting on relatively fine, all things considered. Surely I couldn’t have gone this far so quickly—or did I look seriously enough?
It is a big mistake to assume that people of age have all the answers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Maybe wrinkles give us a look of authority. Perhaps it’s our attitude. Let’s face it; some of us strut around like infallible sages. But don’t let that fool you. Many of us are as insecure as teenagers with acne.
Scientists said Wednesday they had found a brain region that controls physical aging, and could target it to manipulate the lifespan of lab mice.
Denise Shamlian doesn’t miss a heartbeat when asked which in the Murad product lineup is her favorite.
