The media has put youth and physical beauty on a pedestal to such an unhealthy degree that young women are more insecure than ever and developing eating disorders, plastic surgeons have waiting lists, and we have completely discounted the beauty in any woman who is over 25.

Yes, there is beauty in youth, but have we gone too far? From the positive response that we are seeing toward the new, older models and magazine covers featuring older women, I would say that America is saying yes we have. Not only have we doing an injustice to many beautiful and amazing older women, we have done an injustice to our younger women, who will also be older women one day, sooner than they realize. Time goes so quickly. We have much to learn from a generation that youth has discarded. Older women used to be role models, and we need to move back toward that for the sake of our younger generation. The one thing that we all must have to be beautiful, no matter what our age, is confidence, and that must begin by focusing on inner beauty and being a real woman. There is a confidence and timeless beauty in an older woman that our younger women need to learn from…the wisdom of the aged.

Valerie Ramsey, who became a model at 63, said it so beautifully:

“I think younger women are looking at women like us and seeing that we are real, that we are continuing to be involved, that we have something very, very dynamic to offer to the world and that the real beauty comes from, I would say, above all from confidence and from having courage to be ourselves, from the wisdom that we have acquired within ourselves over the years, from vibrancy, excitement, about being involved in life. and it’s when all of those things are on the inside and shine through on the outside, that’s what real beauty is all about.” -Valerie Ramsey

Here is another wonderful quote from Iris Apfel, a 90 year old model. Be grateful for every year that you have lived.

“I think it’s pitiful that people lie about their age. What’s wrong with getting older? If you’re lucky enough to get old you should celebrate it.” -Iris Apfel

So as leading ladies, let’s embrace our where we are and who we are. We have fought and won many battles to be where we are today. We have loved. We have lost. We have embraced. We have let go. We have scars to tell the story. And we have the courage and strength to show for it. And the best is still yet to come. Be the kind of woman that makes other women want to be you, a confident woman who takes care of herself and lives life being true to herself above all else. Find your inner beauty, and let it shine.