I was talking to my oldest daughter Sarah (29) about getting my hair done and showing her a photo of me with the haircut I had awhile back that I plan to revisit. I was telling Sarah that I am over the current cut which I view as a failed experiment.
My youngest daughter Cheyenne (11), who was only casually paying attention prior to this point, remarked that she really liked the way my hair looked now. Of course this sweet comment elicited an, “I love you Cheyenne” from me.
Then Cheyenne said – looking at me in the photo with the haircut I was going to revisit – “Yeah…your neck looks really bad in that photo – all wrinkly and everything.” I slowly (but I believe subtly) lowered my chin into the scarf I had on that day and repeated (this time with my eye twitching a bit), “I love you Cheyenne.”
Wow. The candor of kids and the lack of a filter- it can be terribly refreshing or unapologetically brutal. Either way, you have to know that at any given moment the pendulum can swing in the other direction and give you quite the black eye.
So now I am not worrying about the hairdo I hate, now I am worrying about my neck. I am reminded of Nora Ephron’s book I Feel Bad About My Neck. Lately, I find myself examining my neck in the mirror and wondering if I should wear more scarves.
As for Cheyenne she has already focused her attention on other things such as what kind of a car a woman my age should drive and the level of excitement I should exhibit (or not) when I am out in public with her. She always has an opinion to share with me and because I want her to be a fierce girl who thinks for herself and speaks her mind – I listen…I just keep my big scarf on and my chin down. 😉
Day five hundred and eighty-one of the new forty – obla di obla da
Ms. C
THE NEW FORTY 
omg your a few years younger then me, do we really have to worry about our necks and wrinkles anymore? Or what kind of car we drive….OMG I have had the old Buick for a few years…thats my car of choice…ole bessie never lets me down. She may have had an approach flight, a fire, and a few other obstacles in her way but she is always ready to go and gets me to where I need to go….
well a friend of mine told me about 20 years ago, how to tell how old a woman is, if she has wrinkles on her neck she is in her 50s. So you have atleast 9 more years to go before you attain the dreaded wrinkles. I for some reason feel they give me character and am looking very much forward to them. The other option well if you dont make it to the awesome age of 50 well wrinkles or ……………………………………………
Uncle bubba always tell me “unly da gud dy ung, nepfer U lifs fur ev ur”
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As you probably already know through your older children, Cheyenne’s filter will gradually start to kick in over the next few years. Who will you have then to keep you grounded in reality? Your description of the pendulum swinging both ways is dead on! Good post!
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Wrinkles anywhere are of no consequence unless they are frown lines. Anyone who keeps their face in the frowning position long enough to develop those aren’t invited to my party. Now smile lines are beautiful. They show that a person IS always enjoying life the best they can.
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