Are Older, Single Women Happier and More Beautiful Than Older, Married Women?
Don’t believe your eyes.
I’ve run across several videos lately created by young women who seem to be concluding that the most beautiful, put-together, and happiest older women are those who are single. These videos worry me.
They worry me, not because it cites an inaccuracy in that plenty of older, single women are beautiful, put-together and happy because plenty are. But that it overlooks many other sides to that story while thrusting married, older women in a lessor light that’s extremely unfair. It presents a skewed comparison from the get-go and in some cases, deems the life of single, older women as the grand prize rather than the booby prize so many single, older women see it to be.
I am speaking from the position of being a single, older woman myself, mind you. And although I have plenty of time for self-care, all the freedom in the world, plenty to do, and am extremely happy at this point in my life, I look upon married women with a set of keen eyes given to me by early widowhood that views enormous beauty, put-togetherness, and pride in my counterparts.
The truth is, being married is not easy nor is the balance that comes with juggling a husband, family and a job (or two or three — motherhood, wifehood, and outside employment). And although plenty may view going about life as a single woman harder during some moments and much easier during others, I can tell you that that extra pair of hands that I did without took with it those arms that made me feel safe, supported, accepted and loved life-long. What married women give up in ‘time’ to care for their husbands is what I have in ‘time’ to keep me at my peak. I’d gladly trade my peak for that time.
In addition, I believe the complete generalization whereby married, older women look less good than single, older women is wrong in so many cases. There are countless married, older women that are equally as beautiful, put-together and happy as their counterparts. And frankly, there are numerous single, older women that look and act like hell.
Ultimately, I don’t think these videos are beneficial to woman-kind nor justify the decision to remain or become single. Marriage is a beautiful institution and it isn’t the institution that makes any woman more in-shape and physically collected. If anything does, it is the realities of being comfortable in one’s own skin, comfortable with gravity, and comfortably loved that marriage provides.
If you think there isn’t thousands of older, gorgeous women who wouldn’t gladly trade a perfectly sculpted butt for a hot fudge sundae shared with their thirty-year married honey, you’d be fooling yourself.
