The Right to Romance at Any Age

By Barbara Franzen –

I was always a creature of romance. Even when I was beating the boys up in the 50’s I had my paper dolls like Debby Reynolds. She was my favorite. When I got a bit older, I began buying movie magazines. Fabian and Frankie Avalon were on my mind a fair amount. One Christmas I memorized an entire article in the name of love. Then came sweet sixteen and a kiss under a tree. After that college and a race to see who could go to the most formals. All of these events were romantic-based on hairdos, shoes, little giggles, perfume, eye shadow, and rain storms.

I still find the rain incredibly romantic and intimacy inducing. In my forties my husband and I went dancing to the voice of fabulous live singer every week end. First we’d eat out at a little club near Lincoln then take a blanket out the country where we’d sit and watch the stars before joining the dancers. What I remember about being younger was the right to be attractive and work on my appearance. It wasn’t about a pretty face, albeit we each go for our best. What I’m referring to is having permission to be to enjoy our sensual selves whether we are fifty, sixty, or seventy. Age shouldn’t matter.

What matters is that the woman within each of us believes she deserves to take care of herself regardless of our age. I like to bathe, put on the lotions, smell wonderful, and have stylish hair. Likewise, I enjoy seeing attractive, well cared for, feminine women whether they are twenty or eighty. The bottom line is that being womanly and romantic is a process that involves nurturing the body, and one’s self-image. I’m excited about what I’ll find to put in my romantic basket of loveliness.

Why am I writing this? For the past two years, that part of me died. It was as though my mind said, “You aren’t young any more so that foolishness is over. You are not sensual or sexual. I woke up in time. I am both and I am going to enjoy this romantic element that I find so enjoyable. I finished a book that I spent hours on for three years, and that might be why I turned off, but I think it was more my attitude. We are a society that pushes for youth and the young who are attractive. Fine, I don’t need the raves of others. What I need is the sparkle I feel when I smell delicious perfume and see a long romantic dress and candle light or hear music –the kind that stands my hair on end and takes me away to an enchanted place. It’s still in me and it good to have that awareness.

I did some searching to find the woman that had gone to sleep. I was fortunate to see and feel her when she woke up. She was me. I want to end this with something fun. I was in Wal-Mart the other evening when I saw a razor that runs on a battery and is made for bikinis. My two piece suits of that sort are long gone but what fun to play with a cool razor like that and feel smooth all over. Likewise, I was at a garage sale and bought  a new-in the box-bath soap massager. Wow. All I need now is the soap. Tonight I put on some wonderful bath and body hand lotion and some Donna Karan perfume. This coming week, I am going to look for those long dresses. I am going to be Jacquelyn Smith. They say “Fake it till you make it.” Maybe I have enough time to transform into a Charlie’s Angel. I’ll have fun trying.

Barb Franzen lives a prairie life in the Platte Valley of NB. A nature lover she is passionate about writing. Other interests include genealogy, mental health, reading and quilting-Her favorite thing is painting pictures with words and discovering out of the way haunts-A woman who lives outside of the box- You can find her at her blog at: http://gabbi-innerjoy.blogspot.com/.