From “INVENTING THE REST OF OUR LIVES – Women in Second Adulthood – a book about What Matters, What Works, What’s Next”

“Age 3: She looks at herself and sees a queen.
Age 8: She looks at herself and sees Cinderella.
Age15: She looks at herself and sees an Ugly Sister and says, “Mom I can’t go to school looking like this!”
Age 20: She looks at herself and sees “too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly”– but decides she’s going out anyway.
Age 30: She looks at herself and sees “too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly” — but decides she doesn’t have time to fix so she’s going out anyway.
Age 40: She looks at herself and sees “too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/to curly — and says, “At least I’m clean” and goes out anyway.
Age 50: She looks at herself and se “I am” and goes wherever she wants to go.”

— Anonymous lines circulated on the Internet with a note to pass it on to “all the women you are grateful to have as friends.”