For seniors: Do you think you've aged better than your parents?

Question

I look at some pics of my parents and grandparents at my current age, 56. I am extremely critical of myself, but gosh! I look so much better than the rest of the my family at the same age.

Maybe it's the new fangled face creams! (And NOT smoking!) Or an easier life?

Answer 1

We are the same age - and I have done the same, looking at pictures. Both my parents and grandparents smoked - which took it's toll. I have never smoked. Most people think I am 45 to 48, so I guess I look a little younger (or they are being nice). My older sister looks younger than me.
I think our parents had a tougher life in some respects - but we probably deal with more stress.

I can deal with the hints of Grey hair - but sometimes I look in the mirror, and see my father - and it scares the daylights out of me.

Answer 2

My parents both aged extremely well, looked great until they passed away in their late 80's. They were very clean living people who ate well and didn't smoke (unlike a majority of that generation) BUT if do think that , mentally, our generation is ageing better than that generation did. That is, we embrace change, we utilise all the new fangled appliances and generally "get out more" than they did in the past. my parents retired in their late 50's, and pretty much lived, mentally, at that stage for the rest of their lives. Never wanted to try anything new, wore the same clothes, had the same unerring routine for the next 30-odd years. I don't think that our generation is doing it that way, and thank heavens for that !! I'm happy to wear current fashions, keep my hairstyles modern, and keep up with all the wonderful changes that are occurring in our world.

Those new-age face creams are great, too! I'm yet to see a wrinkle and I'm nearing 60 !

Answer 3

Not better, my mom has a lot of health issues, but she looks great for her age. At our family reunion this year, everyone keep on about how they don't think mom will ever age. It tickles my 1st cuz, cause she looks so much like mom. My dad still looks good too. They have aged well.

People say I look young for my age too. My daughter is the same way, people always think she's younger than she is. I guess we 'girls' just have good genes and I'm grateful.

Answer 4

Much better. Strange coz they never smoked or drank or had any really bad habits. We lost my sister in an auto accident when she was 16.....that aged them.......then we had a tornado come through here and the town was destroyed .....so having to go through all that pretty much took the wind out of their sails. Especially for my mom.....wasn't long after that when she started failing fairly quickly. Then dad. I looked pretty young till I lost both my parents in a short time along with other major stress issues.....and that did me in. Seemed I aged 20 years overnight.

Answer 5

I was told 3 times in 2 weeks that I don't look 60. One of the guys I had working for me on a project asked about my beard and if my barber shaped it. I mentioned without my beard I'd have a baby face and he asked how old I was. He was surprised. I made a comment one morning at work with some temps drinking coffee with us and said I WISH MY BRAIN WOULD UNDERSTAND MY BODY IS 60...she told me she never thought I was "THAT OLD". I got my new gov't ID card and one question the lady asked me was HOW OLD ARE YOU. She stared at me and said, YOU'RE KIDDING! Then looked back at the screen for my birth date. Makes me feel kinda good. I remember my grand dad when he was 60. He LOOKED like a grandpa. So did my dad.
One of the girls I went to school with lives across the street from my sister. I was up there a couple of years ago and she asked me if I remembered so and so. She said "That's her out in the yard." She looked like an Aunt Bea type...and in school...well, they call gals like that HOTTIES today. She was 57.

Answer 6

Better than my parents but about the same as my grandmother. I favor her in looks. She was always slim to medium built and my siblings, Mother, Aunts, and even my daughters are more voluptuous than me. We don't wrinkle early and maintain dark hair with a minimum of gray. She nor I have diabetes or other dietary, weight related health issues.

Answer 7

My mother passed away when I was 19 years old. She wasted away the last six months of her life from metastatic cancer. But, my father lived into his mid-80s and still had his brown hair at the time of his death. I'm more of a "silver senior" than him. I just hope I can reach the point in my life established by my paternal grandfather. He died after being struck by a horse and carriage at the age of 105!

Answer 8

I believe that I have, because I've never worked hard, all my life, such as the ones before me. I worked hard, as a child, grew up & then worked for others; my precessors homesteaded & though there wasn't much money floating around, they done better at surviving on their own hard work than I have, at helping to make others rich. They worked long, hard, & they knew the meaning of true neighbors; something that seems to be lacking, now-a-days. I take my Hat off to my fore-fathers. They were, of a special breed.

Answer 9

Most assuredly, I have aged better than my parents. For that matter, I've aged better and more gracefully than my younger sister.

It's not a face cream or an easier life.

It's the gift God gave you and no one can take it away from you. Enjoy!

Answer 10

I'm lucky to be taking after my mom's side of the family. She
and her mom, looked great til health issued began to unfold
and take their toll. And like them I am slower to wrinkle and
have grey hair for my age. My grandma still didn't have many
grey hairs when she passed at 90 or 92. Whichever it was.
Mom was a blonde (bottled) til she died, and still looked
less her age and few wrinkles too.
My dad showed his age after diabetes and CHF episodes
aged him. And he went downhill fast.
So I'm glad I take after moms' side. Too bad, not in good
health too tho. She started having strokes and that's what
took her eventually. And my dad died shortly after retirement.
And so he died fairly young and about ten years or so earlier
than she did.