About a year ago, I got out of the shower. I was surprised to looked down and see my grandmother’s legs.
No, my beloved, dearly departed grandmother hadn’t come into the bathroom. But, I noticed my legs had started to look like hers.
Before you ask how I knew so much about my grandmother’s legs, let me explain. I lived with my grandmother for almost twenty years after the death of my mother when I was 19. My grandfather had died about five years before that. With my father remarrying, I decided to spend my 20’s and most of my 30’s living with her because she needed me. She was from the era where many women didn’t drive and as a diabetic, she had to make regular doctor visits, so it fell on me to take her.
I also took it upon myself to go into the doctor’s visits with her because she needed someone to help her understand what the doctor was saying. So, I often saw her in a hospital gown. While waiting for the doctor to come in, I’d notice that her legs seemed to be losing muscle, but then again, she was in her late 70’s.
When I stepped out of the shower and noticed my legs were losing muscle, it hit me that I was old.
Okay, maybe not, but it was a stark reminder that I am aging. It seems – at least to me – that we think we will never get old then all the sudden, we hit forty and things start sneaking up on you.
Now I realized why about five years ago, Madonna suddenly developed biceps that Arnold Schwarzenegger might have been envious of.
I guess as we sail towards menopause, our choices are to sag or try to work on our muscles. But, to me, Madonna’s look was almost manly. I suppose I should add a little muscle toning to my workout and see if that helps any.