Ladies-learn to accept age gracefully

Why do Baby Boomers, who burned their bras and fought for women's equality, accept being marginalized in their 50s and 60s?

Why does age shame drive them to lift faces, chests and behinds, inject themselves with Botox and collagen, squeeze like sausages into shape wear and throw money into countless anti-aging products?

The feminists who ushered in the birth control pill and campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment are -gradually making facelifts and liposuction as expected as makeup, heels and hair dye. We thought we freed ourselves from corsets and girdles, but now we're just replacing them through shapers, scalpels and stitches.

Rational people know that, as time passes, we either age or die. The lucky ones are the aged. So why does our society demean old women who have survived and gained wisdom? Eastern cultures- revere them.

We admire the unique weathered character and beauty of old trees, driftwood, rocks and even old men. Why don't we do the same for our precious mothers, grandmothers, aunts and older sisters? Think of the message we send our daughters. We bow to our less experienced youth, let big business define our ideal image and even ridicule ourselves. Enough with the old lady and granny snickers.

We need to view wrinkles and lines as intriguing testimony to the interesting experiences- we've had and the knowledge we've gained. If we don't embrace or at least accept our age, how can we expect others to? We didn't drive women's lib and crack the glass ceiling to receive anything less than equality now.

Let's buck youth obsession and big- business manufactured images. Let's spare our daughters the shame of feeling- they will need to lift, inject and cover up. Let's shed our shape wear, silicon and shame, and instead wear our age with all the wisdom, empathy, courage, character and -confidence experience brings. Respect our -seasoned sisters as God's works of art and valued assets.