You Can't Rattle Us

The fierce power of women who've been around a while.

I’m not sure anyone but older women really understands how strong we are.

Every day, I wake up and I’m like:

You can’t scare me.

I have a crumbling back, a turkey neck, cankles, and a 5-inch long scar across my abdomen from where they cut live babies out of me TWO TIMES.

And one of those babies was over 10 lbs and 24” long.

Go ahead and try to rattle me.

Yeah, that was my first NEWBORN. 🙄

I spent 6 years on the flight line as a military officer back before they even thought about making a G.I. Jane movie. And then I spent another 12 as a military spouse.

I’ve wiped the bottoms of everyone from my two babies (and a bunch of nieces + nephews) to my elderly mom in a nursing home. And I’d rather deploy again to a combat zone than clean more bottoms.

But I’ll do anything for my loved ones.

And I know every woman my age is the same.

What We All Know for Damn Sure

One thing all older women know — because we’ve lived it — is the gorgeous growth of the human heart. There’s this immeasurable expansion of emotional strength that comes with the years and the tears … and an unconquerable sense of resolve.

We will do what has to be done. And don’t get in our way while we are doing it.

So I just want to say to those people who try to talk over us or walk us into corners or ignore our contributions to this patriarchal society …

Do you have any idea who you are fucking with?

We are older women.

We have seen ourselves in the mirror and we love who we have become.

Older us. Wiser us.

None of this skin is tight or new or dewy. We know sunset comes at some point but we’re lifting weights, swimming, reading, and doing our word puzzles every day to stay as sharp and strong as we can for as long as we can.

None of our memories are perfect … but they’re perfect for us.

Life has battered and bruised us. Our hearts are so broken they stay broken most days. Yet we go on. And we get out of bed every damn day with our aching backs and we do the best we can for everyone we love.

Unfuckwithable was a word made for us.

So don’t try to marginalize us. We know every crook and cranny of the margins — and how to get out of there and thrive. We are the Queens of Margins and we’re fighting every day so our kids don’t have to live in the dark corners.

They deserve the light. We all do.

So don’t try to scare us.

Just love us.

And we’ll keep loving this imperfect world as hard as we can.

---

Bonus Read: Because one fired-up piece deserves another.