“What I cherish is that I have gained weight in places — and for most that is a curse — but for me I feel like the full figure woman that I was meant to be. I have a great head of hair, it is actually healthier and in better shape than it was when I was younger (yes, I still touch up the roots from time to time). Other than an arthritic back, I am blessed to be healthy and to have gotten to this stage in life.” — Lilly, 57

“I love that my body still works for me. It’s not as quick about it as it used to be, but I am still able to do much of what I’ve always done, and I can still get stronger when I make the effort. I learned in my 50s that it’s never too late to get stronger and fitter. I went to the gym most days for almost six years and went from a person who could barely get through a day to that kind of schedule. A health problem made me quit a lot of it. I don’t like that I simply can’t do it all anymore. I can do much of it, though, and I’m going to keep working at it! Here’s the most fabulous thing for me today — I am nearly fearless about life now.” — Kathy, 63

Let your hair down “I’ve spent most of my life coming to terms with certain aspects of my body — chief among them my body’s fat content and my skin’s proclivity to provide just the right acne for any occasion. Each decade gifted me new lessons in acceptance. In my 20s, I began to gray. In my 30s, my facial skin was duller and rougher. In my 40s, everything went haywire: bingo arms, age spots and barnacles everywhere, bifocals, hot flashes, and STILL with the acne. And what the heck happened to my eyebrows? So many of these things are just stuff to tolerate or work around, but I legit love my gray hair. It’s a sassy silver, and now that I’m not coloring it, I can afford a monthly massage and professional help for my poor eyebrows. — Emme, 50